The Sanctuary Saga
by DreamLove4II
Summary: This story will follow the adventures of Helen, Will, Ashley, Henry and Bigfoot. Also other characters will be involved. The story will follow the episodes. You will get to know their thoughts and feelings. Please review so I'll know if you like it!
1. Chapter 1

**Intro**

**This whole story follows the tales of Sanctuary. **

**I will follow every episode from the point of view of one of the main characters (this will be marked right on top of one page). **

**There also will be flashbacks within a story (these sections are written in italic).**

**So some of the chapters will be linked with the episodes and other chapters will be flashbacks or single stories.**

**Just so you know – English isn't my native language. So I hope I won't too many mistakes. So please be kind with me - I hope I'm doing well ;).**

**All rights go to the producers of Sanctuary. **

**I just borrow their characters for a good story.**

**I would be very happy about feedback. **

**So I know if you like my story.**

**And whether I should continue writing - or not.**

**I will only post the next chapter if you want to read more.**

**Hope you enjoy. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sanctuary For All Part I**

**This story takes place during Sanctuary For All.**

**At the beginning the story it's from the point of view ****of Helen.**

**The focus in this story is on Will.**

**Hope you enjoy it.**

**S**he had known from the beginning that someday he would be of great help to them. He had this attitude even as a small child. He had analysed all around him. Had been and most likely still was a loner. She had monitored him over the years. And she knew that he had most likely been called to the same case as she had. The case of that strange boy. But there was one difference – she knew about the boy and was searching for him. But he – didn't know that there was a boy involved – even so she guessed that he may find out.

Bigfoot – like Ashley had referred to him since a small age - and even so he hadn't really liked that name – had accepted it long ago. There was just one person that would call him different – and that was her. After she had healed him at the Sanctuary and he had insisted to stay he had asked for a name. Ne pave – which meant "Have no fear" was a good suggestion and since then she called him Ne-Pave.

**W**ell Ne-Pave and she were in a car following Ashley who had insisted on taking her bike. She had always been a danger-seeker. Ashley just turned around a corner at an alarming speed and Ne-Pave also speed up. They drove around the corner – and in the dark of the night she could make out a person. A man standing directly on the street – been just barley illuminated by the lights coming out of windows.

"Halt!", she cried out so Ne-Pave would stop. He slowed down the car but the man collided with the front of the car and was thrown back onto the hard ground. She could just guess that it had hurt – she had also been hit by a car once in her life.

She got out of the car and went to the man – to check if he was okay. Well she was surprised to see Will lying on the floor. He was slightly moving around.

"Not the way I'd hoped we'd meet.", was the only thing she could say. Will tried to look her in the eye and then she could see that he lost his consciousness.

Well since they had lost the track of the boy and of her daughter there was no need to hurry. And she had to get Will off that street. She ordered Ne-Pave to pick Will up and to put him on the backseats of the car.

We were on the way back to the police station when she heard heavy breathing – and thought Will might wake up. So she turned around and watched him. He was turning around and his eyes were moving rapidly under his closed eyelids. He was dreaming. He cried out and it pierced through her heart: "Mother! Ah! Mommy! Ah!" Ne-Pave was concentrating on the street and she turned back around.

"So he does remember!", Ne-Pave said in his dark and deep voice. She could just nod.

"I hope he understands when he learns more." And this time Ne-Pave nodded.

4 Minutes later they were at the police station and Will was still unconscious. So they drove to the back entry and Ne-Pave loaded him onto a stretcher – which she then brought on the 6th floor of the building – in the knowledge that he would be fine there.

Then she went to the morgue to do her job and was happy to be occupied – since she really didn't know what her daughter was up to right now.

**W**ill and that police agent were talking to each other. She leaned a wall just out of sight and listened – to catch up something useful and to see what Will made out of all this.

"No. I'm just saying, if you find the kid, then you'll know how those tree men died tonight.", Will said. And she had to say he was right.

"Go home, Zimmerman.", the police officer answered. Well that police officer apparently didn't think as she did.

"Why don't you want to hear this?", asked a irritated Will.

This time the police officer sounded angry to her ears: "Because this is … Because this is exactly the same kind of B.S. that got you bounced from the agency. Now, if I were you, I would just back the hell off." Well that was very clear. She knew that Will's skills brought him to the job of a profiler and that they helped him there a lot – but sometimes the things he saw just didn't make sense to anybody but him. Well and that had brought him trouble in the past. Maybe at the Sanctuary he would be capable to use his skills to the fullest.

She saw Will walk away and followed him with a few feet distance.

**W**ill stepped out of the building first – into the pouring rain – he took his paper to shield his head of the water. She put her hat on and closed her coat around her body – then followed him.

"The detective is right, by the way.", she said – but he just kept on walking and asked: "Excuse me?"

"He can't use anything you gave him!", she just stated a fact.

"Do I know you?", he asked still walking. Good question she thought – and she had to make him stop from walking. She did hate it when people just kept walking when they were talked to.

So she stopped and asked: "How's your head?"

Well that got his attention – he stopped and turned around to look at her – paper still shielding his head. "Wait. You ran me over.", Will asked reproachful. She didn't like the way he had asked that question so she coldly answered: "You got in the way."

"Of what?", he asked and seemed to be a little confused. Well he will be a lot more confused when she would show him the Sanctuary.

Well she could tell him: "My pursuit of the boy. The police have the wrong man. The evidence will bear it out if they don't suppress it for a quick conviction. But the boy is indeed real, and he needs our help."

"Who are you?", he asked again.

"Let's just say I'm someone who's chosen to embrace the full spectrum of our reality. There are things in this city – in this world that no one wants to admit are real.", she tried to explain without giving away to much – but Will just answered: "Okay, you're creeping me out now."

He turned away from her and started walking again. Oh, how she hated that.

Okay another tactic had to be taken.

"Dr. Zimmerman.", she called out to him. He stopped and turned back to her startled. He hadn't anticipated that she would know his name. Well she did – she did know a lot about him. She had to show him that she knew who he was: "Have you ever asked yourself why you lost your job at the agency?"

He sighed: "That's impressive. What did you do, Google me?" Well if she wanted to know something about him she would have more affective ways to find out – but she didn't really had to tell him that now.

"Your theories were controversial. You were headstrong. Your so-called failures were really theirs. They failed to keep up with your insights…" She wasn't finished but he just interrupted: "Lady, I'm getting soaked here. What do you want?" Oh, she didn't really like the way he had said the first word of that sentence – well she couldn't blame him.

"You, Dr. Zimmerman. As I see it, you have two choices. You can go back to a life where you're unheard and unappreciated, or … you can squarely face the truth you've been seeking since you were a child. We both know you caught a glimpse of that truth tonight. Don't turn away."

"Who are you?", again – he isn't giving up – she thought.

She rummaged trough her pocket and pulled the Sanctuary business card out. She then held it out to Will. He took it and looked at it. She thought she saw curiosity in his eyes but it was gone again.

"I have a proposal. All I ask is for a little of your time.", she had to show him her world – and after that he could decide if he wanted to stay there or not – or she would convince him.

"Thanks, but … if you're looking for resumes, why don't you try ? I already have a job.", he answered and walked away.

She had to say he was adroit. She watched him go and began smiling – she had the feeling she could expect a call that evening.

**S**he had been working in her office on a rather boring case report when her phone started to ring.

She smiled to herself and answered the phone – already knowing who had phoned her that late. But she did not want to make it too easy for him.

"Doctor Helen Magnus here, of what could I be of assistance to you?" She could hear someone cleared his throat and then his voice – a little unsure what to say. "Ehm, it's Will Zimmerman. The one that … the one you ran over."

She had to suppress a laugh at his straightforwardness – but years of training let her keep her control. She would have liked to ask – which one? – to his question about the one she ran over – but stopped herself. "Well I remember!"

"Sure you do! – I thought maybe we could … meet or something.", Will said still a little unsure of his own choice of words.

"Alright I will collect you at your house. Be advised to be ready in half an hour.", she told him. He sounded surprised: "How do you know where I live? I hadn't told you?"

"Half an hour.", and then she hung up. This was going to be long day – she thought to herself. And set off to get dressed and get Na-Pave.

**H**alf an hour later she saw him standing in the rain – with an umbrella – on the pavement. Na-Pave stopped and Will got into on of the backseats right beside her.

"Good evening.", she greeted him and he just nodded: "Hi."

He looked nervous and saw Na-Pave in the mirror – and that just made him more nervous. She had to make small talk – if she wanted to prevent him from getting a heart attack before they reached the Sanctuary.  
"So, what made you decide to call?", she began. His response was immediate and she thought that he might have guessed that this would be her first question.

So he answered: "Uh, You said you were pursuing the boy."

Well: "Indeed."

"Why?", he asked. She thought it might be rhetorical: "I suspect you know why."

He looked totally confused: "Uh, no. Honestly, I don't."

Okay – very long evening she thought.

"Ah … well, then. This will be a very illuminating evening."

**T**he rest of the way he was very quite. But when the Sanctuary came into view she heard him exhale and stiffen at her side. This was really going to be a long evening.

**A**fter they had gotten out of the car – and Will hadn't said a single word – she walked through the foyer.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Dr. Zimmerman, or perhaps something stronger?", that might keep him calm enough for this evening she thought.

"Uh, no. No, thanks. I'm good." He said looking around the whole place.

"You no doubt have questions about this place.", she said – showing him that he could ask her what he wanted to know.

He answered: "Just one. How come there's no organ music?"

She hadn't thought he would joke about it, but well: "I'm glad to see you maintain a healthy sense of humour."

She took of her hat and then began to take of her coat – watching Will out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah well, it's invaluable in police work. Nothing brightens up a murder scenes like the right zinger.", Will said.

It was her turn now: "Levity helps keep far more insidious things at bay. The boy you saw. He's very special, or so I was led to believe by people I've come to rely on for such information."

"Did he kill those men?", he asked straight to the point.

"Yes and no, not the boy per se.", Helen answered – and then started to walk down the hallway – Will following her.

"If the boy did do it, any you have knowledge either way, I need to know.", Will insisted.

"And if the answers I provide pose even greater questions?", she countered.

"I'm willing to take that chance.", he said.

"Are you certain about that?", she wasn't so certain right now – she wanted to know if he was.

"You know what? Next time you just want some company, don't give your card out to strangers on the street.", Will said now totally blocking.

"By the time the night is out, I expect to have the boy in my custody. Until then, I hope you'll understand that I'm reluctant to speculate on his guilt or innocence.", she hoped he would understand – she did not want to loose him because she had no time to explain all to him.

"But you're saying that you can find him?", he asked – good she had gotten his attention back.

"I believe so. And when I do, I could use your help.", she could try alone but with him the chances were a lot better.

"Really? For what? You call this place a sanctuary. For whom?", oh you're asking to many questions – Helen thought.

"Or what.", was her simple answer – that seemed to make Will more distant.

He let out a bitter laugh and then said: "Ah, you know what? This was a really bad idea. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, and I'm even sorrier that you've wasted mine."

Okay young William that struck a nerve – Helen thought and tried to find a way to explain it to him so he would be able to understand.

He had turned away and started to walk back to the foyer when she knew what she would say.

"Your instincts told you that the boy was anything but normal. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. Inside these walls are beings that make his qualities pale by comparison. Sanctuary for all – is not an empty motto."

Will turned back to her again – and continued to follow her across the hallway again.

Helen could also make out that he was very careful of his next move.

**H**elen stepped into an elevator – Will followed her and she could feel that there was the next question already forming in his head.

"So you're a doctor of what, exactly?", he asked.

So she had been right – he wanted to know with whom he was dealing with.

Trying to profile me, doctor – Helen thought.

"The specific discipline depends entirely on the patient.", that was the easiest way to explain it – she thought.

"Do you have anything for chronic insomnia?", he asked – and she knew if he would stay at the Sanctuary she would have to take care that he would sleep enough.

"Fair warning, Dr. Zimmerman, you're about to leave the world you know behind.", she said. As if on cue the elevator stopped and Helen stepped out.

"I take that as a no.", Will said still standing in the elevator.

She turned back to him: "This way."

Will walked out of the elevator and joined Helen – then they continued walking.

Well she could tell him something about her if he wanted: "I specialize mainly in cryptozoology and xenobiology. Teratology, too, when the need arises."

Will seemed to be confused: "Teratology, what the hell's that?"

She stopped walking, and then some of her guests made strange noises that seemed to alarm Will. He turned to her with a shocked expression.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary."

Will started to walk again – trying to take all in – what was in the big room. Then he stopped and turned back to her.

"Please.", she said and led him to a large window. It was the section of the mermaid – and she now swam toward the window.

"A mermaid, you got to be kidding me?", Will asked.

Now she could answer his question from before: "Teratology, from the Greek – teratos – meaning – deformity, hideous creature, unknown being."

"How is that even possible?", Will asked.

Helen moved to the next window – Will still following her.

"He's a little frightened of strangers.", she tried to explain.

"He's frightened? What the hell is that?", asked Will – and Helen thought he most likely was as afraid as the abnormal behind the window.

"His classification is less importance than the simple reality of his existence. I discovered him after his natural habitat was destroyed by South American mining operation. Sadly, he may be the last of his species.", she explained.

"Oh, my God.", Will said as he moved to the next dark window.

Helen knew what would come but she wanted that Will would find out on his own – she wouldn't be able to warn him every time.

The fire streamed toward the window.

"Whoa!", Will screamed and jumped back. Helen caught his elbow then stepped toward the window – talking sense into her patient.

"Come, now, don't be shy.", she then turned back to Will, "Elementary powers can be very difficult to control, but we have been making progress. The purpose of this Sanctuary is to find and help the unfortunate creatures of this world. Some need saving, others can't be allowed to roam free. Case in point …"

She moved to the next window to make her point - with Steve.

"New guy … new guy! Welcome!", Steve said then turned around: "Watch your back!"

Helen said annoyed: "Stop it, both of you.", and turned to Will again, "I apologize. They're incorrigible. Nature is nothing if not diverse."

Both continued walking around the room – walking past the windows.

"The patients on this level are kept in cells mainly for their own well-being. For others it's a refuge of last resort.", Helen said.

Will was surprised again – but Helen thought that he took it better then she had believed he would.

"What, you mean some come here, what, voluntarily? Does that mean that others are …", he got distracted when on of the flying abnormals entered the Sanctuary.

"Running free? Absolutely. This isn't a zoo, and it's certainly not a prison.", she stated.

"Yeah, but some of these things, they look dangerous as hell.", Will said.

Well some of them are dangerous as hell.

"We have a dual obligation: to study the miraculous, and to protect against the perilous.", she said – he had to learn a lot here.

"Yeah, but … the dangerous ones, what's the point of keeping them?", he asked.

Oh, exactly the same question Ashley had asked her once. And Helen had tried to explain to her why they would keep them. But well Ashley didn't understand – or better she hadn't wanted to understand. Sometimes Ashley was so stubborn.

And now she had to explain Will.

She just hoped he wasn't as stubborn as her daughter – or she would have a hard time dealing with them.

"Every creature expands our knowledge. We learn from the deadly as well as the benign.", she said.

"How many more are there?", Will wanted to know.

"Many.", she stated then started to walk away – sure that Will would follow her.

**A**nd she was correct he followed her directly into the living area. A place she had redecorated so many times over the years – like her office.

"So I'm guessing few people have seen what I've just seen.", Will said.

Oh, when you would know, she thought: "Very few."

"How do you keep a secret this big?", he wanted to know.

"Very carefully. The survival of my patients depends on it. Please.", Helen sat down and motions Will to sit also. Just as he wanted to sit on the couch another door had opened and Na-Pave stepped in – with tea.

Will stepped to a wall: "Whoa!"

The second time this evening he had screamed – whoa.

A very very long evening.

"It's all right. It's all right … he's just as unnerved by you. He's been relatively isolated since I first treated him.", Helen tried to explain. Na-Pave moved forward and gave Helen a cup of tea – very carefully.

Helen bowed her head: "Thank you."

When Na-Pave offered Will also a cup of tea – Helen had to stop from grinning. That whole scene with Will against the wall – and Na-Pave holding the cup in front of his face was just priceless.

"I … uh … No", stuttered Will.

Na-Pave left the room and nodded friendly to Helen before he closed the door. Helen knew that he was used to that reaction. But since the beginning of their friendship – there had never been fear. The first time she had seen him she had been angry at him but never afraid – and Na-Pave cherished that. Helen knew that Na-Pave would give his life for her – there had been many situations in which he had stepped in front of her and had protected her. But she would do the same for him – if needed.

"This … thing is your patient?", Will asked slowly relaxing after that shock.

"Former patient actually, after I removed more than a few bullets from him, he refused to leave. So I gave him a position on my staff. I'm not sure he'd appreciate you calling him a thing.", Helen said, sipping her tea.

No abnormal would appreciate that – especially not her.

Will now sat down.

"Why me?", Will asked seriously.

"Because, Dr. Zimmerman, I believe there's a vital role for you to play here.", she answered.

"By helping you capture monsters?", he said shocked.

First he called them things and now monsters – there was going to be a lot of teaching for him. And she would leave the capturing in the capable hands of the trained persons.

"We prefer to call them abormals. The most important thing is that my patients have a place where they can feel safe. Where we can help them, learn form them.", she explained.

"My head's kind of doing the backstroke. Are you offering me a job here?", Will asked.

Oh, so much more Will – I'm offering you a new life – Helen thought.

"I'm offering you a chance to explore a world that you've been trying to understand on your own, with very little success." Will laughed.

"You find my offer amusing?", she asked and hoped she hadn't misjudged him.

"No, it's not that. It's just …", he began.

"You're afraid.", that was the only explanation for her right now.

"You work with monsters!", he said. So he was afraid – she thought.

"I work with sentient beings, each worthy of the same respect that humans, even animals receive automatically. These creatures are the key to the evolution of our race, past and future, and yet we revile them, destroy them. And worst of all, pretend they don't even exist. But they are out there, Dr. Zimmerman. Lost, like the child you saw tonight. Misunderstood, haunted … and they need our help your help.", Helen had now given him a hell lot of explanations and he still wasn't satisfied.

He sighed: "I – I still don't understand why you would come to me."

"Because I need someone who can see beyond the surface, see the world as it really is.", she said.

"I, I profile criminals, not monsters.", he countered.

This time she had to grin: "You can't see the irony in that statement?"

"You know what I mean.", Will said.

"You are a student of the human animal. You see things, you read things in behaviour that, that I believe cut across the variations of outward form. Where others see stubbornness and failure, I see great potential. Good doctors come and go, but the great ones have always seen beyond the boundaries of science, beyond the known. The great ones dare to believe in the unbelievable.", Helen said – watching him carefully. She had wanted to tell him that she believed in him – that she saw potential.

When she heard the buzzing sound of her mobile phone she got up and walked over to her desk. There she picked up her cell phone and read the text message. That massage told her two things: 1 – her daughter was okay – even so she hadn't called in hours. And 2 – they had the boy.

She turned back to Will: "We've found our boy."

**O**n the way to the tunnel she had anticipated many questions from Will – but he seemed to just have two.

"So you have found the boy? How?", he asked.

"I told you that you got in the way on my pursuit of the boy. Well, I wasn't the only one searching.", Helen answered.

"And how did you get the information of that boy in the first place?", he asked.

"I already told you – I have my contacts. I rely on them in such cases.", she said, "Here we are. Follow me."

**S**he stepped into the tunnel and kept going – until they were in tunnel 4. Voices could be heard and Helen saw two police officers been treated by EMTs. She watched them as Will asked: "What happened to those guys, the boy again?"

"Seeing as they're alive, I doubt it. I have my theories.", she said – and that theories involved her daughter.

She began to move off – Will following – they entered another area.

"What I still don't understand is, who tipped you off that the boy was down here?", a very irritate Will asked.

Just in that moment Ashley joined them: "I did. I've been tracking that little dweeb all night."

Helen didn't turn around – she just concentrated on their surroundings – in case the boy would attack them.

"Who the hell are you?", Will asked shocked and Helen had to smile as her daughter shot the question right back.

"Who the hell are you?", Ashley said.

Okay she had to stop the pleasantries – they had a boy to catch here.

"You said you had him.", she asked.

"I did, until the circus arrived.", Ashley said.

Good time to ask if it really had been necessary to attack the two men – Helen thought: "Still, roughing up two policemen."

Helen already knew that her daughter would have an explanation for that one again – and she was right.

"They were going to get themselves killed.", Ashley countered.

"Uh, guys?", Will said standing in front of a large box.

She heard Ashley pull out her gun at the same time that she got her gun ready.

Will was now standing directly in front of the box – Helen knew that this wasn't such a good idea.

"It's okay.", Will said – and in that moment a snake-like thing darted towards Will. Ashley – always the fast girl – tackled Will to the ground – stood up again and aimed at the boy.

"Don't! We need him alive!", Helen shouted – she didn't wanted that boy dead.

She walked in front of the box and talked to the boy: "We want to help you."

She lowered her gun – but Ashley standing behind her had her weapon still drawn.

"Do you understand me? We're not going to hurt you, I promise.", unless he should be making trouble – Helen thought.

The boy stepped out of his shelter and now stood before them – the snake-thing still waving wildly around.

"That's it.", Helen said – and in that moment the snake-like thing stroked out and bite Ashley in the shoulder. Helen turned around to her – her own weapon now drawn again.

After Helen had almost forgotten that Will was still here – she was surprised to hear his next words but took the opportunity.

"Hey, hey, hey" Over here. Over here … yeah that's it.", Will said – trying to distract the boy and it worked.

"That's is … nice and easy.", Will turned to Helen and Ashley, "Any time …"

Helen raised her gun and shot the boy with a tranquilizer dart – he then collapsed onto the floor.

Good, boy caught. And Ashley injured – again.

Great, Helen though.

"You okay?", Will asked Ashley.

"Yeah, I'm fine.", Ashley answered and Helen had to sign inwardly – her daughter would never admit that she wasn't fine.

"This chaos was completely avoidable.", Helen said to her daughter.

Ashley just looked at her and said: "These tunnels reek and I need a bath. I don't need a lecture."

"Seriously, who are you?", Will asked – Helen knew that he wouldn't take this one that easily.

Every time the same excuses, Helen thought.

"Dr. Zimmerman, this is Ashley.", she added a small pause and then continued, "My daughter."

And from the reaction that was now displayed on Will's face – he really hadn't expected that one coming.

**To be continued …**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sanctuary For All**** Part II**

*******************************************************

**This story takes place during Sanctuary For All.**

**At the beginning the story i****s from the point of view of Helen.**

**Hope you enjoy it.**

**In this story the focus is on Ashley and Druitt.**

**Slightly Will in the end.**

*******************************************************

**"U**gh. I get it, alright?", said Ashley sighing.

They had moved back to the Sanctuary – taking the boy with them.

They were now sitting in the medical room.

Oh, Ashley had gotten herself injured again – and that was part of the job Helen would never be comfortable with.

She never slept at night when Ashley was still out there. And her daughter had the magnificent ability to stay out of house and not call for hours.

Helen stitched Ashley's shoulder while Will held an ice pack to his head.

Well, he had also been hurt – slightly – he better got used to it.

"Ow! Mom, take it easy.", Ashley said slightly turning away.

Oh, her thoughts had wandered to far again – try to concentrate on your daughter Helen – or you'll injure her even more.

"All I'm saying is that we could have better coordinated our efforts.", she said.

"Again, we got the ghoul, okay? Take a pill.", Ashley answered.

Helen knew that Ashley didn't like to get lectured – but Helen just had to do it.

And she also knew that Ashley understood – on a certain level that her mother worried about her.

Time to not forget the other person here in the room.

"I apologize for Ashley's unruly behaviour, Dr. Zimmerman. What she lacks in refinement, I assure you she makes up for in her field skills.", Helen explained frustrated.

And it was true – Ashley did a great job.

Even so Helen sometimes wished it would be her in harms way – and not Ashley.

"Really?", asked Will.

"Somebody saved your live tonight. Oh, wait! That was me.", said Ashley dramatically.

Oh, her daughter was sometimes really exaggerating.

"Hold still.", Helen said – or she would really do more damage to Ashley.

"So I take it you guys, uh, do this a lot?", Will asked curious.

Oh, if he knew the truth – Helen thought.

Ashley started to talk again: "Oh, this is nothing. Hey, Mom, do you remember the summer I turned 18? We do an entire den of werewolves. You know, as in bag and capture? Sedate and catalogue? It wasn't just me, Mom was there, too, and a few nervous locals, one who seriously looked Adrian Brody."

Well Helen did remember that night – not one of her favourites.

Her daughter and she had captured a lot of werewolves – which wasn't without its price.

Both of them had flesh wounds – and Helen later asked herself if it had really been such a great idea.

But Ashley was blathering again – and she wasn't so sure Will already needed to know all the details.

"Ashley …", Helen said.

"Mom, you thought he was hot too.", Ashley said slightly confused.

Well she did – but …

"Dr. Zimmerman is our guest. Please bear that in mind as you blather away.", Helen stated.

"Anyway, we were low on silver tips, full moon's on the rise – …", Ashley started again.

A disbelieving Will asked: "You making this up."

"You got the tour, right?", Ashley asked confused.

"Yeah, but …", Will said.

Okay – time to separate these two.

"There we are, darling, good as new.", Helen said

Ashley got up and placed a kiss onto her mother's cheek then said: "Thank you. Hate to bleed and run, but I got to be on the eastside in twenty."

Not today – Ashley. Not when she already had her hands full with Will. Not when there had been that strange fluctuation in the EM shield.

Helen had a feeling – that it wouldn't be the best to go out today.

"For what reason?", she asked – she wanted to know what Ashley was up to again.

"Sylvio has some fabulous new product for me. Top of the line Kevlar, prototype hollow-points, digital fuses …", Ashley explained.

"Actually, I'd prefer it if you stayed in this evening.", Helen said composed.

"What do you mean? Why?", Ashley asked.

She hadn't wanted to tell Ashley and not in front of Will but well her daughter left her no other choice.

"There's been some fluctuations in the EM shield. I'm sure it's nothing, but just to be on the safe side.", Helen tried to explain.

Ashley signed: "But this won't take an hour, and I promise I'll grind him down on the price. We buy in bulk, we save a ton."

"We're Sylvio's best customers. His amazing deals aren't going anywhere, believe me. It's been a long night, Ashley please.", Helen didn't want to argue with Will still present.

"Mom, come on! I'm just …", Ashley started.

Hell, her daughter never knew when to stop. She had always insisted on getting what she wanted. Had pleaded – or argued with Helen – until she got what she wanted. Or Helen said strictly no.

She knew this was such a situation – so she gave her daughter the best look to show Ashley – her rapidly diminishing patience.

Ashley gave up: "Okay, Facebook it is.", she then turned to Will, "Nice to meet you, uh, keep the ice going."

Then Ashley left the room – well situation under control again.

"So she's your daughter? What, did you have her when you were, like, 12?", Will asked.

Oh very flattering, young William.

"Very flattering.", Helen said grinning.

"Adopted?", he asked.

She saw the wheels turning in Will's head.

"The details are unimportant. Ashley is my flesh and blood, and she plays a vital role in my work.", she said.

"She bags 'em, you tag 'em.", he said.

"Something like that, but I find it's what happens afterwards that matters the most."; Helen said.

Well Will wasn't really wrong – but Ashley's part in her life was far more important – than just helping Helen at work. Ashley was her reason to life – her reason to stay here and do something positive. Helen wasn't so sure – if she would still be around – if she wouldn't had Ashley in her life.

*******************************************************

**H**elen had just convinced Will to go into the room below, and she watched him from the observation room above.

In that moment Henry entered.

The boy she had rescued – the boy she saw as her son – and who had grown to be such a great and intelligent young man.

"Kind of harsh for a job interview, don't ya think?", he asked her.

"Thank you for your opinion, Henry.", Helen said amused.

"I'm just saying it's a newbie all alone with the new arrival …", Henry said.

"Whom he helped capture.", she said – still watching Will work his way around the boy.

"Yeah, sure, he might pull it off. You know, even blind squirrel find a nut. Or is it monkeys and bananas? I can never remember.", Henry said – almost talking to himself.

She never understood from where he had that way of talking. But of one thing she had been sure – it wasn't her. But well Ashley had also a strange way of expressing herself sometimes. But both of them most likely thought the same about her.

"Do you have what I asked for?", Helen asked – time to stop him from talking.

"Yeah. The analysis of the goop you took from the cop's frontal lobes? Check.", Henry said – he then gave Helen a computer tablet he always carried around with him.

Helen could see an image of the globe, touched it and it zoomed in.

"Not many places you're going to find radiation traces that pure, mostly former soviet republics. But if you match up the mineral traces in the plutonium sample to known mining operations in each possible location …"; Henry explained.

The imaged stopped to move – and had zoomed onto the searched location. The results of the search obvious.

"Chernobyl.", Helen said – one of the greatest disasters of the earth – and she had seen many in her lifetime.

"Only city in the world with more personal Geiger Counters than clocks.", Henry said.

"Many of the survivors of this disaster moved on and had children.", Helen stated.

Who could blame them – she thought.

"Yeah, if you call them that.", Henry.

Sometimes Henry could be sensible like a lawn-mower.

Irritated Helen said: "Your sensibility is breathtaking."

Henry faked a shocked expression: "The kid sucks brains! Not that I'm being judgmental."

"Is there anything else?", she asked – if not, she wanted to concentrate on Will again.

"Ah no, not really. A working girl was found murdered behind a warehouse down near circle square about four hours ago.", Henry said – also watching Will the room below.

Murdered? – Helen thought.

"Murdered how?", she asked.

"Just your typical old school stabbing; no one saw anything, cops are clueless, as usual.", Henry explained.

The word stabbing sent shivers down her spine. It couldn't be – could it …

No, it was impossible – that it was him. She had to be sure.

She tried to sound as calm as possible: "Send me what you have."

Henry seemed to be startled by that: "Really, we care about this? I mean, it's very sad, but …"

She had to stop him from blathering away again – just like her daughter. Maybe she had done something wrong in their education.

"Send it to me", She just said.

"Okay, fine. All right, I'll transfer the CCTV footage from that part of town to the central network, which, by the way, is still fluxing like a bitch. Did you get the request I sent for those upgrades?", he asked.

She wasn't really listening anymore. She just thought about what she would do – if it really was him.

"We'll talk about it.", She said.

"Okay, fine. By the way, if there's a cleanup on aisle 2, I don't want to know about it.", Henry said, and then he was gone.

Helen just stood there – watching Will – her thoughts somewhere else.

**S**he had watched Will – he had been attacked by that snake-like thing – but reacted fast. Now he was trying to convince the boy of his safety.

"No you just want to be safe. Listen to me, Alexei. Feeling safe is something we all need. That is nothing to be ashamed of. All right you're no different than anybody else.", Will explained, still keeping his distance – but slowly stepping forward.

"You don't fear me?", the boy asked.

"No.", Will said.

The boy looked at him and then the appendage swirled around the boy's body – clinging to it – not attacking anymore.

"Magnificent.", Helen said smiling.

She had known that Will would be capable of this work. He just needed a helping hand – or in his case a leading one.

*******************************************************

**H**elen now sat in front of her computer. On her screen the file from Henry – that said: "Hi Magnus, here's the stuff you asked for, a video the cops released from the area where the prostitute was killed. Henry."

Helen began to watch the video – and she had been right.

Oh, how much she would give for been wrong – but no.

The man in that video – even so it had a poor quality – was him. She was sure of that.

Sure that it had been him – killing that woman. Sure that it had been him – who triggered the EM fluctuations in the shield.

And that also meant that he knew exactly where she was – where she lived.

The hair on her neck stood to all ends.

She had hoped this would never happen.

But he came – he came to her – he came to …

Ashley!

Helen already began to check the security systems of the Sanctuary – but knew that he would find a way around the shield if he really wanted to.

*******************************************************

**S**he had checked the security system – had checked the EM shield – but still didn't feel any better. Helen had moved on top of the Sanctuary and was now standing on the ledge of it.

She felt free – felt like the time was standing still – when she was up here.

She feared that he would come – and once again break her heart.

She had loved him back then. Loved him so much. Cherished his charm, his intelligence, his thoughtfulness. Had loved the way his arms had closed around her. But all that was long gone.

All lost when he started to act crazy. When he started to murder these women.

She had given him medication – so it would stop making him crazy.

And when he had given her that engagement ring – she really thought he would be better again.

But shortly after she had accepted his offer – she had to accept that he was feeling worse again. His mood started to change. And the worst – his manner with her. He sounded bitter talking with her, wasn't caring anymore.

And he murdered again.

That on evening when she had found him with that woman on the street – she was so hurt.

He didn't know then – but she had already been pregnant. She had known it since a few weeks.

But when she saw what he wanted to do to that woman – she had to act.

She saw the hurt in his eyes – when the bullet had hit him. And in that moment could see that there was still something inside of him – something of the man she loved.

But he was lost.

*******************************************************

**S**he had been standing here some time when she felt someone coming through the door to the roof. She instantly knew that it had to be Will – no one of the others had ever come up here.

It was her Sanctuary.

Will seemed a little surprised to see her standing on the ledge: "Magnus? Don't do it. You've got your whole life ahead of you."

Her whole life? She had been living for more than any whole life should be.

"If only you knew.", she sighed.

"Aren't you a little cold?", he asked.

"Opinion seems to be divided. Care to join me?", Helen asked.

Will didn't sound as if he really liked the idea: "Uh … I'm not usually good with heights, but … what the heck."

And he stepped up onto the ledge next to her – using a pole to steady himself.

She had to admit – that if it had been someone different – she had send them straight back into the Sanctuary. But she would make an exception with Will.

"Wow, that is quite a view.", Will stated.

Well you could look over Old City – a beautiful view in the late evening and the early morning.

"I come here to reflect, particularly when I can't sleep.", Helen explained.

"I'm guessing that happens a lot.", he said.

Well he could already read her well. Changing topic from me to you – she thought.

"You're finding all this too much, aren't you?", she asked.

"I don't know. I think I'm handling the whole world-turned-upside-down thing pretty well.", Will said.

"But you're having a hard time accepting it.", she stated.

"If you were me, wouldn't you?", he asked.

Well he had a point.

"I was you. A long time ago.", a very long time ago – she thought.

"All this is extraordinary. It's beyond extraordinary. It's just … it's not my world. I'm having a little difficulty wrapping my head around it.", he explained.

Time to lift the curtain a bit – Helen thought.

"This wasn't an impulse on my part. I've known this was your destiny since you first came to my attention.", she said.

He chucked: "Yeah, since you knocked me down in an alley."

Well this wasn't planed – certainly not from her.

"Since you were eight years old, actually … when you told the world a monster killed your mother.", she said – watching his reaction.

He was visibly surprised.

"How'd you know about that?", he asked.

I know a lot more than you think – Helen thought.

So she started: "Not that anyone believed you. From then on you were the odd one. The strange child who saw monsters lurking in every shadow. The boy who cried wolf, until the fear and mockery became too much and you recanted. You couldn't possible have seen what you did. You must have imagined it. But you didn't imagine it and that trauma spurred a lifelong commitment to study of the mind. You became obsessed with perception. You published papers on how easily we mistake illusion for reality."

He seemed to understand now – that what he had seen had indeed been real.

"It was real. What I saw was real.", he said.

"The life you've built is the only way you could make sense of what happened to you, Will.", Helen said – still watching the now quite city.

"How can you expect me to help these creatures when one of them … one of them took everything from me?", Will asked shocked.

"Only you can answer that.", she answered.

It was him who had to make the decision – not her.

"You knew. You knew how this would affect me.", he said confused.

"It's your choice, Will. In the end, it's a massive leap of faith.", Helen stated and then fell silent.

She wanted to give him time – time to think about all that.

Time to think about what he really wanted.

*******************************************************

**B**oth of them had been standing some time on the roof.

"Magnus, it's getting cold outside. Maybe we should go back in.", Will said.

Helen knew that he was right – but she needed a few minutes more.

"You may go back inside, Will. I'll be coming, too. I just need more time here.", she replied.

Will nodded and got back to the door that lead into the Sanctuary.

Then he was gone. All was so very quite.

And these moments were rare. She always had work to do – or flick Ashley back together.

Or like right know – not going crazy when your only daughter had gone out again – Helen thought.

It was just a stressful commitment.

She also stepped back from the ledge and went to the door – taking a deep breath of fresh air before stepping back into her life.

*******************************************************

**H**elen walked past the windows – and heard the mermaid calling out to her.

She stopped and went to the glass placing her hand onto the point – where – on the other side – the hand of the mermaid already lay.

"Do you think the shield is going to stop him? You do think it's John? You seem to be afraid of that.", the mermaid asked her mentally.

"Yes, the shield is working. If it's him, we're safe. Actually, I'm not afraid of him harming me, more what he may do to others, what he may have already done. If the truth were to come out, the consequences would be devastating.", Helen said.

"I know Helen.", the mermaid answered – before Helen stepped back from the glass and continued her task.

*******************************************************

**H**elen had seen Ashley walking along the hallway and then entering a room.

"Ashley …", she called after her. Helen entered the room and spotted her daughter – standing there – cleaning up her face with a cotton pad.

"I know, you told me to stay in.", Ashley started.

Oh my god – was that blood on my daughters cheek?

"Where were you tonight? What happened?", Helen asked.

"Nothing major.", Ashley said.

Oh really, this most defiantly looks different from nothing major, young lady – Helen thought.

She took another cotton pad and started to clean Ashley's wound.

"Sylvio and I ran into a bit of trouble.", Ashley explained.

Trouble – translates into a fight – with her daughter.

"Trouble?", asked Helen and looked at Ashley with disbelief written all over her face.

Helen still cleaned the wound when Ashley said something that made her feel ill to the stomach.

"Some super-fast psychopathic dude.", Ashley said.

Helen stopped cleaning the wound.

Not John – not now.

"Nothing we couldn't handle.", Ashley reassured her.

"How fast?", Helen asked – it could be him.

"Pretty hot moves for a tall guy. He had a great accent, too, kind like yours only, uh, more evil."; Ashley said.

JOHN!

Helen instantly turned on her heels and started to walk to the door of the room.

"Stay here and I mean here."; Helen ordered.

"Relax, Henry put him in the shoe. We're fine.", Ashley said confused.

Great, her daughter not only got injured form her father – no she had also brought him back as a trophy.

Helen stopped in the doorway turning back to Ashley.

"No, we're not!", she said intensely.

Then she started to run off.

"Mom …", Ashley said following her mother.

So much for staying where Ashley was ordered to – Helen thought.

*******************************************************

**A**shley had followed her the whole way. And Helen was now rushing into her office directly to her computer. Ashley only slightly behind her.

She had to stop him from hurting her – she had to stop John doing something bad – again.

"Mom, why are you freaking out?", Ashley asked out of breath.

"Grab what weapons you can. We'll need them.", Helen ordered – still studying the data on the screen.

"No, not until you tell me why this ghoul is such a problem.", Ashley asked.

Oh Ashley, there is no time to ask such questions now.

They had to act fast – faster than him.

"Because he'll kill us both! He allowed himself to be captured by you, I'm certain of it. We may only have moments before …", Helen began – but she was interrupted by the sound of someone teleporting.

John, he had teleported here.

Helen turned around and could feel Ashley doing the same. In an instant Helen had her weapon aimed at the appearing man.

"Bloody hell!", Ashley breathed behind Helen.

It really was him – John. The person she had loved so much – and the person that had left the deepest scars in her heart.

John looked Helen straight into the eyes – fixing her with his own.

"Hello, Helen.", he said – his voice soft.

The voice that had made her laugh – when he had told a joke. The voice which had woken her – early in the morning. The voice that had held so much intensity and love in it.

"John.", Helen whispered.

"Wonderful to see you again.", he said.

"You know this ghoul?", Ashley asked shocked.

John began walking towards both of them.

"Oh … your mother and I go way back.", he answered.

Don't tell her – Helen begged him with her eyes.

She saw a flash of light, John disappearing. Then reappearing behind Ashley – twisting her arm and using her to shield himself from Helen. Ashley looked alarmed.

Oh, god. No!  
"John, don't! This is about you and me, not her.", Helen said pleading that there was still some sanity left.

"For the moment. You have no idea what it's been like … alone, wandering this godforsaken world, wanting only peace. A fragment of what we had. What I lost …", John explained.

"You have nothing to gain from harming her. Or me.", Helen said – still holding the weapon.

Besides my hate and rage against your insanity – she thought.

Ashley looked at Helen: "Mom, shoot him!"

As if all this was that easy.

"Shall we drop the pretence? You know exactly why I've come and what I want. It's all within reach, everything I've ever wanted. And you're going to give it to me, or she will die", John said his voice dangerous.

Ashley's eyes widened – fear in her wonderful eyes.

The only thing Helen wanted to do, when she saw those eyes, was to step forward and close her arms around her daughter.

The person this was all about – but the person that wasn't aware of it.

"Mom!", Ashley said.

John closed his arms even more around Ashley – and then disappeared.

Helen ran to her computer, already beginning to scan the security screens.

She was afraid that John could harm her daughter. His eyes had held that intensity like they used to – but they also had that rage to them. And he was angry at her – angry she hadn't told Ashley who her father was. Angry that she had locked him out of – their – family.

"Oh, bloody hell …", Helen swore.

She had to find them.

*******************************************************

**S**he had been so occupied with searching for her daughter that she hadn't noticed John reappearing behind her.

"Ah, I knew him well.", John said holding a small skull.

Helen turned and aimed her gun at him.

"Where is she?", Helen asked – she tried not to sound to frightened – but well she was.  
John was just standing there looking at the skull.

"Where is she?", she asked – this time her anger clearly obvious.  
John began to wander around the room.

Helen just wanted him to stand still.

"I'd tell you she was safe, but I'd be lying. No, your scruffy little helper mentioned something about where the worst of the worst are kept.", John said triumphantly.

Helens heart beat faster – even so it had already beaten faster then normal.

She was scared – scared of where John might have put Ashley.

"You bastard.", she said – in the moment she really meant it.

"Oh, no doubt she helped capture whatever is in there and they can reminisce.", John said almost smiling.  
"Threatening her –", Helen began – would be a very bad idea – she thought.  
John sat the skull back on the fireplace mantle.

"Is my only opinion, Helen. I can hardly threaten you. Using one of your own precious creatures as the blunt instrument … Some of my best work, I think.", John said.

I have to find Ashley – I have to get to her – dear god.

Helen stopped aiming at John and started leaving the room.  
"I'll get there first.", he stated.

He was right – he could teleport directly to her and she would be gone before Helen could even say – caught ya.

She turned and looked at him wide-eyed.

He wouldn't do it!?

"And just put her someplace more dangerous.", John said.

He would do it!?

She started to slowly walk back toward the desk.  
"I don't want her to die, Helen, but that is exactly what will happen if you test my resolve.", John explained.

"There's only one reason you would have taken this risk, to risk her. Because you have to. You're dying, aren't you?", Helen asked – already knowing the answer.

"We're all dying. It simply comes down to survival, and I intent to do whatever is necessary to ensure mine.", John said.  
Helen couldn't believe what he had just said.

"Even if it means killing her?", she asked shocked.  
"Her life is in your hands, Helen. I don't think you want to lose her over something as easily accessible as your own blood.", he said.  
Ashley's life always seemed to be in her hands – Helen thought.

When she was injured – Helen had to treat her.

When Ashley was in trouble – Helen had to find a way to help her.

When she had been captured – Helen had to rescue her in time.

Not that Ashley couldn't watch out for herself. It was just – that she sometimes didn't know where her limit was. And then Helen had to take care of it.  
John walked in front of Helen – smiling softly.

"You saved my life once before. You can do it again.", he said.

That was a long time ago.

"I can help you, John, and not by prolonging this nightmare. I can find a cure.", Helen tried to reason with him.

"She clearly doesn't know.", John stated.

Helen had to think what he was talking about – then she knew.

"How could I possible tell her?", she asked.

It would break her heart – Helen thought.

"She must have asked how she came to her killer instincts.", John said.

Helen had to stop herself from screaming at him – that Ashley wasn't like him. She had to be honest that she had noticed similarities between both of them very early.

"She thinks her father's dead.", Helen said bitter.

John glared at Helen: "I wonder how she'd feel to learn the truth."  
His anger had risen.

"Your mind is poisoned, John, through no fault of your own.", Helen tried to explain.

This time John yelled at her angry for not obeying him: "Helen Magnus, friend to nature's abominations and enemy of common sense! Your blood, Helen!"  
Helen just looked at him – hoping he would stop with all of this and bring Ashley back.

John then looked over Helen's shoulder onto the security monitor.

"Oh, time is growing short.", he said.

Helen turned to the screen. Ashley in that cell with the wild creature. Even Ashley wouldn't survive this.

She knew she couldn't leave John – or he would put Ashley somewhere else right now.

She tuned back to John and tapped some commands into the computer – behind her back.

She hoped the others knew what to do.

She depended on them – Ashley depended on them.

This was a live and death situation. And Helen knew how most of them played out – she had seen a lot of these situations. She just hoped that a miracle would happen for Ashley.

*******************************************************

**H**elen was sure that someone downstairs had seen the monitors with Ashley. And right now she had no other choice then to play along with John – even so she had other plans for him.

Helen took out a small box of wood and opened it. Several vials of blood were inside.

But what John didn't know – this wasn't the blood he wanted.

She filled the syringe with the blood and handed it to him – hoping the wouldn't see trough her bluff.

"How can I be sure?", he asked.

She looked him in the eye – tiring to tell him she wasn't lying.

"It's mine. Centrifuged, pure.", Helen said.

It seemed to work.

John took the syringe and injected the blood into his arm.  
Sorry, John. I'm so sorry. But you were going to hurt our daughter.

"Thank you, Helen. You won't regret it.", John said after throwing the syringe onto the floor.

"I'm sorry I can't say the same for you.", Helen said feeling slightly guilty.

Then John began to look sick and started flashing – as if he lost control of his power.

"Forgive me, John.", she said with tears burning in her eyes.  
"The Five, … the others … will come.", John said pained before he vanished into thin air.

Time to worry about that part later – Helen though to herself.

She began to run to the cell John had placed Ashley. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

She would never forgive herself – if Ashley would die.

She had to move fast.

*******************************************************

**H**alf the way to the cell a very hysterical Henry came running straight towards her. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack – and Helen asked herself if she wasn't already too late.

"Fin…ag…s!", Henry said between breathes.

Helen had stopped running and now put her arms onto Henry's shoulders. He had to calm down or she wouldn't understand a single word – of what he was talking about.

Henry let her – and tried to calm down.

"Are you alright?", she asked.

She knew it was a strange question – but she also cared for him very much and had to know if he was okay.

"Yes, yes.", Henry said.

"What did you say earlier, Henry?", Helen asked.

"Find Magnus!", he repeated.

Helen just looked at him enquiring – she didn't really understand why he was talking as if she wasn't present.  
Henry saw that look of hers and began to talk again.

"Will, he said find Magnus! He and Bigfoot are in the cell with Ash and she is injured – I think!", he said and started to get hysterical again.

Okay they had to move.

She put an arm around his shoulder and started to walk again.

"We have to hurry, Henry. Up for a race?", Helen asked.

Henry looked at her and started grinning slightly: "I bet all my chocolate bars, on that I'll win."

"Okay, we'll see!", Helen said.

Then both of them started running.

Running to Ashley – saving her.

They had to get there in time – Helen thought – still running like her life depended on it.

Because it did.

*******************************************************

**H**elen and Henry – even though they weren't at the cell could hear a scream from Will. Helen guessed it was him. After that scream came a loud crash – another loud shriek from the creature and then silence.

Helen and Henry hurried to the entrance of the cell. Helen was the first – but she would later claim her chocolate bars from Henry. He hadn't learnt in all those years – that every time he had bet with her – he lost something. It was only to her advantage.

They were both at the entrance and she opened the door to the cell.

She heard a moan when the door slid back and heard Will's voice: "Come on we got to go. We got to go."

When the door was almost up Henry and Helen rushed in.

"Stay in the light!", Will yelled.

Okay!

Helen pointed her gun at the creature – rushing to help Will with Ashley. Henry went to help Bigfoot.

Helen slid her arms around Ashley – steadying her.

"I've got her, I've got her.", she screamed – not sure if she wanted to assure Will that he could let go of her – or if she wanted to tell herself that Ashley was save again.

Will understood and went to help Henry and Bigfoot.

As soon as all of them were out of the cell – Helen pressed some controls to close the door. Ashley still heavily leaning against her.  
Henry and Will had gotten Bigfoot onto a gurney and began to push it away from the cell.  
"Dude, are you nuts?", Henry asked.

"It's a distinct possibility.", Will answered.

Yes, it was.

But they were save – Helen thought.

For the time been.

They all limped back to the medical room.

*******************************************************

**H**elen had her hands full. Her first priority was Ashley. She had several lacerations on her throat. So she started with her.

Henry helped her lie Ashley onto one of the beds. Helen put some gloves on and Will brought her the right tools.  
"Magnus, I'll treat Bigfoot. If you don't need me here.", Will said – slightly touching her arm.

She was surprised. A few hours ago – Will had been terrified by Na-Pave. And now he was ready to help treat him. Will was really a fast study. And she could need his help.

"Go ahead. I have Henry here. When you need help call me. And after your done, I would like to check you over as well.", Helen said – starting to clean Ashley's wounds.

Her daughter winced and Helen knew that it must hurt.

"I'm okay, Magnus. Really.", Will said.

"Non the less. If your okay, the check-up won't take that long.", Helen insisted.

Ashley winced again.

Okay, I can't see her like that anymore.

Helen walked to a cupboard and picked up a sedative. She knew Ashley would never ask for one. But Helen would give her some – so she could do her work properly.

Will was watching her.

"Something else, Will?", Helen asked – walking back with the needle full of the sedative.

Injecting it into Ashley's arm.

"No, I'll start with the big guy over there. See you later.", Will said – already walking to the other room – occupied by Na-Pave.

Ashley opened her eyes slightly.

"Mom?", she asked totally exhausted.

"You're okay, honey. I promise.", Helen said leaning down to her daughter.

Ashley relaxed until her body got limp again. The sedative had done his job.

Helen let out a breath.

"Is she going to be okay?", asked a worried voice.

Oh, she had forgotten about him.

"Yes, Henry. She is going to be fine.", Helen said turning her head around and smiling reassuringly.

"I just thought because … well she had called your name and then … she was gone again. I thought that …", Henry tried to explain.

Helen interrupted him: "She is okay. I just gave her a sedative, so I can work better."

She smiled at him again – and this time he also smiled back.

"Swab!", Helen said teasingly.

Henry grinned and brought her the ordered swab.

"Here's your swab, Doctor Magnus.", he said – empathizing the Doctor.

She smiled and began her work on Ashley's throat again.

Time to demand her price – Helen thought.

"You know – I won again.", Helen said – not looking up from her work.

But she didn't miss his baffled expression. Then his expression turned from irritated into understanding and then into defeated.

"Oh, that. Well. I hadn't bet something on it? Did I?", he asked innocently.

Helen grinned: "Oh, you did. And you know that very well, Henry."

"Well. I lost", he said.

"You loose all the time.", she smiled at him stopping her work form a few seconds to look at his face.

He sighed: "Either I didn't learn to not bet with you – or I don't really like chocolate."

Helen laughed: "The first, defiantly. Since you were a small child you loved chocolate."

"Really?", Henry grinned.

"Yes. Sometimes you sneaked out of your room. Then you went to the kitchen and ate all the chocolate you could find.", Helen explained.

Henry sat onto a chair.

"Oh, I can picture that one.", he said licking his lips, "It had to be heaven."

"Well at the beginning!", Helen said, "But you sneaked out all the time. After a few times I knew where to search for little Henry. So I caught you."

"With the hands in the cookie jar!?", Henry said grinning.

"Well yes. I brought you back into your room. But the next day it happened again. So well … I really didn't want to follow you every evening to the kitchen. So I searched for a long time solution.", Helen said.

She had put a bandage onto Ashley's throat and threw her gloves into the bin. Ashley would sleep another 4 hours or so.

She had time to tell her "son" some childhood memories of his. Okay he wasn't her biologically son but emotionally he was.

"Aren't you going to continue?", Henry asked.

Helen carried a chair over to where Henry was already seated – right beside Ashley's bed – and sat down in front of him.

"I didn't go after you right away. I gave you 5 hours or so before I went into the kitchen. And well after that day you never sneaked out again.", Helen said grinning.

Henry had been lying on the floor of the kitchen – chocolate all round him. And he had looked as of he was going to be ill.

"I had overate myself? With chocolate?", Henry asked.

Helen nodded smiling.

"Oh, that must had been a sign. Sad that I don't have a picture of it.", he said.

"You don't", Helen said – standing up and going into the direction of the room with Na-Pave.

She opened the door – but turned around to Henry again smiling: "But I do."

Henry's jaw dropped to the floor.

Helen went into the other room and closed the door – smiling to herself.

"Is everything alright? You seem to be very happy?", Will asked – still working on one of Na-Pave's wounds.

"Yes, Will. I'm okay. Just some good memories.", Helen said.

Will smiled at her.

"May I assist you?", Helen asked jokingly.

"Yes, you could pass me the swab!", Will answered.

Helen looked at him surprised.

Had he heard what she and Henry had talked about or was it just a coincidence?

She decided she would just play along. Henry was monitoring Ashley – so she could spend some time with her new protégé.

"Always at your service, Sir!", she said.

She then went to the cupboard and got the swab – handing it over to Will.

"Here, Doctor Zimmerman. As you ordered.", she said.

Will took the swab and smiled at her.

Good to know, that he liked her humour – Helen thought.

She liked him and really hoped that he would decide to stay at the Sanctuary.

It would be a loss to them all – if he wouldn't.

*******************************************************

**A**shley had been ordered to bed rest. And that really wasn't one of the things she liked.

"Mom, I'm okay. Please, let me do something.", Ashley said.

"No, Ashley. We had this discussion 3 times this day already. And my opinion hasn't changed.", Helen said – sitting on Ashley's bed.

Ashley walked back and forth in front of the bed – like a tiger in a cage.

"I think it had been 4 times already, mom!", Ashley said.

"It doesn't matter. You are not going to leave the Sanctuary – or I will have to lock you in.", Helen said.

Ashley stopped walking – shocked: "You would really lock me into my own room."

"I would do a lot, to keep you out of danger, Ashley.", Helen answered.

She would even give her life – for Ashley.

Ashley started to walk again.

"But I could climb out of the window. Or I could break the door. Or I might …", Ashley started again.

"Ashley.", said Helen with a soft voice.

Ashley stopped pacing again – turning to her mother. Helen had tears in her eyes.

Ashley saw this as a punishment. But Helen just wanted that the wound could heal before she would be back on the field again. It was no punishment.

"Mom?", Ashley said worried and walked over to her mother.

Helen took her daughters hands into her own – holding them tight.

"Do you know how I felt – when you were in that cell with the creature, Ashley? Honey, I felt so helpless. Frightened even. And I realised that I was so vulnerable if it came down to you."; Helen caressed Ashley's cheek – looking into her deep blue eyes.

Those wonderful eyes.

"Ashley, this isn't a punishment. I just do this because I care. Because I love you, darling.", Helen said softly.

Ashley's eyes were tearing up too. She got up and flung her arms around her mothers neck – holding onto her – weeping.

"I love you too mom.", Ashley said.

Helen and Ashley stayed like that for a while.

Ashley like a small child on Helen's lap – her arms around her neck. Helen holding onto her daughter – whispering comforting words into her ears.

It felt so good to be loved – especially after all what had happened.

*******************************************************

**H**elen was working at her desk when Will came walking in.

"Leaving Dr. Zimmerman? How unfortunate.", she said – still hoping she might be wrong – and he would indeed stay.

"What you've built here, and the research that you've done … Thirty minutes in that library, and I got to the bottom of questions I didn't even have the sense to ask. Some of the most confounding cases I'd ever worked on were suddenly crystal clear.", Will explained then sat down in the chair opposite Helen's desk.

Maybe there was still a chance – Helen thought.

"And yet you're ready to walk away.", she said.

"Just … hear me out, please. You invited me here because you said I was a truth-seeker, just like you. But I know you've withheld things from me.", Will stated.

Well he was right – but what the hell should she have told him. That the man that attacked Ashley was Jack the Ripper her Ex-Fiancé? Ridiculous!

"What things, Will?", Helen asked.  
She saw Wills eyes wander – like he was dreaming or remembering something.

"You were there, weren't' you?", Will asked – even so he had the answer already.  
It's all right. You're safe now. These were the words she had told him – over and over again. Until he began to calm down.

"She was an extraordinarily brave woman. She died protecting you from that creature.", Helen said – and tried to keep the dark memories from that day away.

From the blood – the screams. First of Will's mother – then the piercing screams from a helpless child.

"You could have stopped it! Done something!", Will pushed.

Oh they had tried. Tried all in their power. They had even tried to bring his mother back to life – but she was just too critically injured. She had tried all she could think of – but all couldn't prevent a child form loosing his mother.

"We tried, Will. I swear to you, we tried. It all happened so quickly, we barley had time to rescue you.", Helen said.

She had pulled him out of the danger zone. Away from his certain death.

"You couldn't have been more than, what, 14, 15, at the time? Teenage monster hunter? I don't think so. And then there's your recent guest, Druitt. Turns out that a John Druitt was one of Scotland Yard's prime suspects in the Ripper Case in the 1880s.", Will stated.

Now they were moving onto dangerous territory.

"Yes, he was my first patient.", Helen answered.

"Which means … either one or both of you can travel through time, either that or you're more than – ", Will said but was stopped by Helen.

Time to tell him your real age, Helen. It won't hurt.

"I am 157 years old.", Helen said with a calm voice.

Will sighed heavily and dropped his head onto the back of the chair – staring up at the ceiling. Then looking back at Helen.

"How is any of this possible?", he asked.

"When you work at the frontiers of science for as long as I have, the rewards and curses are … unexpected.", Helen explained.

"My God … you treated one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.", Will said.

"He wasn't always that. He was dying. I gave him my blood to prolong his life, but it all went wrong.", Helen said.

Not the whole truth – but right now better than nothing.

Helen thought back to the 1880s.

She had followed John. And saw that he had found his next victim – Molly.

She could also make out the blade he held behind his back. She had to do something. So she ordered him to stop. But he walked to Molly. Introducing the women to each other – calling her his former fiancé. Molly had no chance – Druitt brought the knife to her throat – covering her mouth. Helen was just a few meters away – watching helplessly. She tried to reason with him but the killed Molly. Killed another woman. And she fired and the bullet hit him.

On that day she thought she had lost him forever. That he would never return. How wrong she had been.

"I've spent all the intervening years trying to undo hat mistake.", Helen said.

"He was more than your patient, wasn't he?", Will asked.

Well, he was good at profiling.

Helen glanced down to her hands.

"Ashley …", Will said shocked.

He was really good – Helen thought sadly.

"I kept the embryo frozen for over a century, until I could bear the loneliness no longer. I brought it to term believing John was gone for good. I underestimated his determination.", Helen said.

"Okay, here's the deal. If we're going to work together, the first rule, the only rule, is that you're straight up with me.", Will said.

Good thing to know, Will.

"I've just trusted you with my deepest, darkest secret.", Helen explained.

"I know, it's just … I just know that I've spent a lifetime living a lie and I can't do it anymore.", Will said.

"I understand.", Helen said smiling.

She really did.

"No, I'm serious. You open this place up to me, every monster, every room, everything that crawls, flies, teleports. If I'm going to be of any use to you I've got a … I got a lot of catching up to do.", he explained.

"To say the least.", Helen said.

"You know, I was hoping that at least you would be normal.", Will said.

She had been – a long time ago.

"Sorry to disappoint. Is there anything else?", she asked smiling.

"Is there a health plan?", Will asked.

"No, but I can promise you the adventures of many, many lifetimes. Shall we begin?", Helen asked.

This was going to be a new chapter of life for Will.

But also for her.

*******************************************************

**The End**

*******************************************************

**Next Episode – Next chapter**

*******************************************************


	4. Chapter 4

**Fata Morgana**

**This story takes place during Fata Morgana.**

**T****he story is from the point of view of Will.**

**I found this really hard to write – because I had the feeling Will and Magnus were more distant in this one. Most likely because this**** was a remake of the webisode – and slightly out of order.**

**But I'm ****happy about feedback – as always. ;)**

**Hope you enjoy it.**

************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
**

**I**t was a dark stormy night. He normally didn't had a problem with that – but been on an open field with cliffs and the cold air around him – changed his opinion a little.

He and Magnus had crouched down – behind a big rock. Magnus had a gun. The wind was blowing around him and brushed through Magnus hair – making it fly into her face.

She hadn't answered to his question, earlier.

"I said, are you sure this is it?", Will asked – he almost had to scream to be heard over the noise of the wind.

Magnus turned her head to him, with a dissatisfied look on her face – even so it was rather dark he could still make out her features.

"Keep your voice down! We're trying to remain undetected. That does require a modicum of silence.", she said in a low voice.

Modicum, who talked like that? – Will thought, but kept it to himself.

"Modicum. Right. Why are we hiding? We're on an island in the middle of nowhere. And it's a crypt, not the Pentagon.", Will said trying to keep his voice down.

"A crypt potentially containing an elixir capable of prolonging life for centuries. Such secrets are rarely left unguarded.", Magnus explained.

"Yeah, but why can't we just …", Will started but was interrupted by Magnus.

"Look.", she said and handed him a spyglass.

Will took it and looked toward the crypt. What he saw wasn't really comforting – there were creatures guarding it. And they didn't look very friendly – he thought.

"Keepers of the Dead. Best to be avoided if at all possible.", Magnus explained.

"Right.", Will said taking the spyglass down.

Keepers of the Dead – just great. For Will that title said it all.

Ashley was crouched behind another rock some meters away from them. He looked back at Magnus, and caught her and Ashley exchanging some hand signals, in a very rapid speed. They were really used to this. But it looked like they weren't on the same page on this one. Then they stopped.

"I got – I'm going in – and – go around – but what was that wiggly one you did?", Will asked.  
"– Either we work together or we die. – Let's go.", Magnus said already preparing herself.

Okay – go in and win!

"Okay.", Will said – even so he wasn't really comfortable with moving into the direction of those Dead-Keepers.

All of them left their cover and headed towards the crypt.

Magnus turned to him: "Take the other side. Draw them away if you can."

WHAT?

"You're kidding right?", Will asked shocked.

What the hell, she wanted him to be a living and walking target?

"Go quickly, before they …", Magnus started but was interrupted because the keepers had spotted them and were now started to attack.  
Maybe he should have done what Magnus wanted from him. But he still wasn't used to this. He had only been a few weeks – at the Sanctuary. And he had really moved in, a week ago. He was still new to all of this.

"Ashley!", Magnus yelled.

He saw Ashley shooting and fighting of the Keepers – that were attacking her.

Then she ran to her mother – who was also shooting at all the attacking Keepers.

"Okay, I know this was not on the brochure!", Ashley yelled to her mother.

Will was watching near enough, to be safe – and out of the way of the wild shooting.

"This is why we don't work with Sylvio. His intel is holpless. Ashley!", Magnus yelled back to her daughter – to warn her.

Who ever this Sylvio guy was – Will was sure Magnus didn't really like him. He had already heard his name twice since been at the Sanctuary – and Magnus hadn't really complimented him. Maybe – if he would survive this – he should meet that Sylvio.

Then Magnus turned to him: "Go to the crypt! Go!"

Time to do as ordered – he thought.

Will ran to the crypt – Magnus and Ashley still fighting.

"Mom!", was the last thing Will heard from Ashley before stepping into the crypt.

It was dark – well since when had a crypt been illuminated?

He turned his flashlight on – moving around with it so he could make out where he was. He moved some stairs down – and stepped onto an emblem in between three caskets.

Suddenly a green liquid filled the strange emblem.

Oops! He hopped that wasn't a bad sign.

The liquid run through the emblem and was then led to the caskets. Suddenly the caskets opened and Will could look into the face of a young woman lying inside.

Was that normal – or not?

"Will …", Magnus said stepping into the crypt – looking down to him.

Will could only hear individual bullets been fired outside. So it had calmed down.

"This might be my first crypt, but aren't they suppose to hold dead people?", Will asked confused.

Magnus looked at him interested.

Will asked himself – if that really surprised her.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**T**hey had moved the three body's back to the Sanctuary. Magnus insisting they take some of the dead Keepers back with them as well. Ashley didn't like this idea. And he didn't either. He didn't like these Keepers – they looked like dead beings – walking corpses.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**H**e stepped into the main cell room. The three women were laying on beds. Magnus checking up on them.

"Three not-so-dead women found in coffins. Just another day at the office.", Will said – approaching the beds.

"All three are comatose. Fortunately, brain functions and vital organs seem to be intact.", Magnus said – still checking.

"So they're normal?", Will asked.

Oh, great question, Will. They found three young women in caskets in a crypt guarded by something called Keepers of the Dead – and he was asking if they were normal? He really lost it.

"Near as I can tell. The scans aren't detecting any physical anomalies, but they can only tell us so much. I'm administering a time-released stimulant. It should bring them back to consciousness slowly, with as little physical trauma as possible.", Magnus explained.

So maybe they really are normal people – Will thought.

"What about the emotional trauma?", Will asked.

"That's more your department, I should think. Until they awaken, we have to rely on more traditional forensic methods. Now, this fella …", Magnus said – moving to another bed.  
This one was occupied by one of the Dead Keepers – he hoped it was really dead.

He really didn't like them.

"Fond memories.", Will said – watching Magnus inspect the head of that creature.

"These creatures detected our presence early and possessed unnatural speed and strength.", Magnus explained enthusiastic.

Then she separated the part of his head from his face – without even blinking.

Will didn't really like the sign of that.

"Defiantly not human.", he said.  
"Not as you would define it, no. I was about to gather some fluid samples. Care to assist?", Magnus asked – the skull still in her hand in the other some slimy liquid.

Oh, he had to get out of here – Will thought.

How could she work like this?

"Ah … I'd love to, but … I'd better get back to my office and get the whole head-shrinking operation up and running.", Will stuttered.

"As you wish.", Magnus said.  
She still looked fascinated by that creature. And Will asked himself if she had noticed his discomfort in this situation.

He turned around and made his way to his office.

He had a lot of work to do.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill had the feeling that these three women would wake up soon – so he grabbed his jacket and walked to the room, where they were kept.  
Almost there – he heard a scream from inside the room.

"No!", the woman screamed.

Time to hurry man.

He ran down the hall and into the medical room. One woman was sitting – breathing rapidly – in her bed. He could clearly see, that she was frightened. He closed the door and walked towards her. He had to calm her down.  
"Hi. It's nice to see you're finally awake. I'm Dr. Zimmerman. Will. Can you understand anything I'm saying?", Will said.

But it didn't really work – she began to look around wildly – shocked.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. You're okay. You're in a safe place.", Will continued.

He reached out, trying to comfort her. Before he could stop her – she grabbed him and pulled in into a tight embrace.  
She was shaking like a leave – Will thought.  
"Okay, okay. You're in a safe place. Just relax.", Will said.

Slowly she released Will – and looked at him.

"I … am Danu.", she said with a shaking voice.

So she did understand him. And she could speak English. Good!

"So you can talk.", he stated.

She gazed to the other two women. Then she turned back to Will.

"My sisters, Tatha and Carid … are they …?", she asked frightened.

Will shook his head: "They're fine. Your sisters are fine. You just woke up first. You're in a medical facility. We brought you here after we found you in a …"

He stopped. He couldn't tell her that they found them in a crypt in three separate caskets. No, that would just be cruel.  
"… dark place. Do you have any idea how you ended up there?", he asked.

"Creatures … they came to our village. They weren't human.", she answered.

Oh yeah, they defiantly weren't human.

"Yeah, sound familiar.", Will said.

"They … took us with them, and then … I woke up here.", Danu said.  
"Your village. Is there anyone there, your friends or family that we can contact? Let them know you're all right?", Will asked – maybe anyone who could tell them who these women were.

"I'm sorry, I just can't remember,", Danu said shacking her head.  
"That's okay. You just take your time.", he answered.

Danu looked around – taking in the room she was in.

"This place, it's like … nothing I've … ever seen before. There's … There is light, but I see no candles. There's warmth … but there's no fire, no sunlight.", she said irritated.

If she didn't know anything about heating or electricity – she had to be … how old again? Oh, that math – again.

"Danu, before you and your sisters were taken, how much do you remember?", Will asked.

"Last mass … we were mourning the loos of our priest to the miasmas.", she explained.

The miasmas?

"The miasmas?", Will asked.  
"It's a sickness that has cursed many villages surrounding us in recent months. There is no cure.", Danu said.

"So you remember the miasmas. Anything else?", he asked.

Danu shook her head sounding distraught and frightened: "Why can't I remember?"

I don't know – Will thought.

"Just give it time.", he said.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**A**fter he had asked her that – she seemed to be exhausted. So he ordered her to sleep and went to his office – and turned his laptop on. He went into the internet – googling miasmas. Just to be sure.  
And he found something. This article said, that in the Middle Ages, diseases like Cholera, Chlamydia or the Black Death had been caused by a miasma. Miasma meaning something like pollution or bad air. So that took them from 500 to 1500. The last reported outbreak was in Scotland in 800 AD.

So these women were from the middle ages.

Wow!

He had to tell this Magnus.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill walked into the medical room. He knew he would find her still here.  
He heard her dictate something: "These creatures exhibit a terrifying propensity for violence. Physiology appears to be human in base form, though significant anomalies to the face and torso indicate the possibility of mutation at a base genetic level."

He really didn't understand a word.

Besides that these creatures were really dangerous and bad looking.

"Okay, you need to … you need to put a sock on the door or something before you do that.", Will said.

Magnus turned around to him – smiling slightly. Then turned back to her object of … desire.  
Really he wasn't so sure – if he would ever get used to it.

"He's breathtaking, isn't he?", Magnus asked – she had stopped the recording.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it.", Will answered.

"How are our guests doing?", Magnus asked – still examining the creature.  
Well …

Will walked to Magnus – placing himself in earshot but not to near to the creature – that was examined right now.

"Confused. At least the one who's awake is. She mentioned a disease that was killing people in her village, called the miasmas? Which translates from the Greek meaning poisoned air.", Will stated.

"Plague, actually.", Magnus corrected him.

Okay, plague then – Will thought.  
"The bubonic plague, specifically however, the last reported serious outbreak was in Scotland in … 800 AD. ", Will said.

Good, that he had done a little research – he thought.

"Meaning?", Magnus asked.

"She's crazy.", Will said.

Magnus turned to him again – looking slightly amused about his statement: "Is that your professional opinion?"

"Look I know there's a lot of things that are outside the realm of our knowledge, blah, blah, blah, but logically, if she were from 800 AD, she wouldn't speak English the way we do. I'm guessing that linguistics and grammar have evolved somewhat since then.", Will said.  
"Some would say de-evolved.", Magnus stated.

De-evolved? Well he wasn't the right person to be asked something like that.

"Whatever. The point is that we wouldn't understand her. Which makes her a very sweet, very delusional woman.", Will said.

He couldn't believe that these women were from the middle ages. It was just so … so surreal.  
"Possibly.", Magnus said not very convinced.

"If you have a theory, please, share it with the class.", Will said.

She had to tell him – if she knew something.

She turned back to him again: "The liquid we found the three of them in bears similar chemical properties to suspended animation formulae used by southern voodoo cults."  
"The human body cannot survive intact for 1,200 years; I don't care what kind of magic bath products you use.", Will said.

That was just so strange.

"And I agree. So … these women are either far more than they appear, or … to use your incredibly clever vernacular …", she said and stopped – for him to continue.

"Crazy.", he said.

"The question we should be asking is why the Keepers were so anxious to stop us from getting into that crypt. What is it about these women that they don't want us to know?", Magnus said.

And Will had to say – she was right. What made these women so special – that these Keepers were protecting them!?

It was strange.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**B**ut if Danu really said the truth they had to be from the middle ages. A very very long time ago. He still wasn't convinced.  
"You do not seem to be satisfied, Dr. Zimmerman.", Magnus said.

He looked up to her. He had been lost in thought. But he was still standing beside the bed – and Magnus was still doing something to that Keeper.

He really didn't know what.

"Well, the whole thing doesn't make any sense to me. I think I'll search for some more information on my laptop.", Will said.

"You do not have to use your own laptop. You're allowed to use the computers around here as anyone else does. The connections are easier and faster.", Magnus said.

Good.

"Great. I'm already gone.", Will said – almost out the door.

Magnus voice stopped him: "I already arrange an account for your own."

Oh.

"Oh, good. Thanks.", Will said and left the room – on his way to one of the main computers.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill sat down and started the computer. Then the start screen appeared. Several names, also his account with his name was visible.

Helen Magnus, Ashley Magnus, Henry Foss, Na-Pave.

Who the hell was Na-Pave? Well he had most likely never met that guy here.

Another account for Guests – and his.

William Zimmerman – he was sure that Magnus had called his account that way and not Dr. Zimmerman – so he felt more at home. Not so isolated. Well …

He clicked onto his name and a small field appeared – ordering him to insert his password. He was surprised.

Will leaned back in his chair studying the screen.

Password? What password? Magnus hadn't said anything about a password. Maybe he should ask her. No, she had told him that he had an account. He was sure that if she had wanted to tell him his password she would have done it.

So maybe she wanted him to find out on his own. Okay, he would try.

He clicked onto the question button that should show him a clue to his password.

"MY password!?", Will joked irritated.

The clue appeared – showing a few numbers: 11052001-26072001.

Okay what were this numbers? A riddle? A code? He just didn't know.

He could go ask Magnus about the password – but his brain told him that she wanted him to find this out on his own.

He needed to write the numbers down.

Okay, it had to be something – he could connect with. Or she wouldn't have chosen it.

Beside the monitor were a writing pad and a pen. Will took both and started to write the numbers down. When he was finished he looked at them again.  
But what should he do with them now?

Then he saw something. There was a number-combination that repeated itself: 2001.

Maybe the year 2001. Yes! He put points between the numbers and then got a date: 11.05.2001-26.07.2001.

He typed the numbers into the password box and pressed enter.

Wrong password! What? He had done it right – or not?

He tried it again. But the computer only told him – that his password was wrong again.

Damn.

Whatever Magnus had done here – she was really good.

He looked at the numbers – the date he had found there. And then it hit him. It was not a date – it was a special date. He had worked on a special case, in that time. The case with the murdered women in a train station.

That case also had a special name. That had been called – the Train-Strangle-Murder. He never really liked that name.

He put the three words into the password box and pressed enter the third time. The screen changed and his account had been unlocked.

Alright, the first thing he was going to do – was changing that password. Into something more … easy.

He had to grin the whole time when he changed his password.

She had tested him. Tested if he tried on his own. Tested if he really was that watchful.

When he had changed the password he checked his folders.

He was able to open all data files in the Share folder – were files lay from Magnus, Ashley and the others.

All his other files – that weren't in that folder weren't visible for the others – unless he put them into the Share folder. Here were separate folders with pictures, mission reports and a lot of other things.

Will then closed the folders and opened the Internet-Exlorer. And searched for the topic miasmas again.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**H**e had gotten a call from Magnus – that Danu's sisters had woken up too. And that Henry would bring them to Will's office. He hurried in his office – Henry and the three women already present.  
"Gotta go!", Henry said and walked out of the room closing the door.

Will sat down, and the others followed.

"So, what's your name?", he asked the woman next to Danu.

"Caird and this is Tatha.", she said – pointing. Well, he couldn't blame them.

"Why is nothing familiar to us? I seem myself in the mirror, and I recognize my face. I know Tatha and Danu, but the person I thought I was … you're telling me there is no village, no sickness. The little I can remember is false. How can we all not feel completely lost?", Caird asked.  
"Danu has told us that you insist there were no magic's involved, that what we suffer is simply a malady.", Tatha said.

I didn't really say that – Will thought.  
"It's more of an emotional shield. We found you in a crypt surrounded by monsters. It's normal for the human psyche to put itself in a safe mode.", Will stated.  
"We want to accept your diagnosis, Doctor, and we're grateful for all that you've done. It's just … ", Danu said.  
"You're still not buying it. The clinical term is schizoaffective disorder. It's a delusional state stemming from acute post-traumatic stress.", Will interrupted them.  
"But we are all three suffering from the same disorder. How is that possible?", Tatha asked.  
"Delusional behaviour occurring virally in groups is rare, but it's not undocumented, particularly amongst siblings. Look, let me put it this way; there is no logical or physical way that your memories can be real. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can continue to make progress.", he said.

And he hoped that this was true.

Will knew he had to try something different. And a hypnosis was just the right thing to do. Maybe Danu or the others would remember something relevant from their past.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"**I** want you to concentrate on the sound of my voice. I'm gonna count backwards from five … four … three … two … one. Danu, can you hear me?", Will asked.

"Yes.", Danu said.

All three women had their eyes closed.  
"I want you to go back to the last thing you remember before you woke up here.", Will ordered.  
Danu turned her head around: "The creatures. They're too strong. We can't escape …Why are they doing this? We've done nothing wrong! They're making us drink something … darkness."  
"I want you to go back further. Find a memory of something that happened before the creatures took you.", Will explained.  
"Moonlight. I'm in a field. It's cold. I can sense the dead, their souls extinguished. Only we remain.", Danu stated.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**A**fter the session with the three sisters he had brought them back into the medical room. There he meet Magnus.

"How did it went?", she asked.

Both stood in front of the closed door – so the three sisters wouldn't hear their conversation.

"Well, Danu told me something about a field, sense of dead. Extinguished souls.", Will said.

"Interesting.", Magnus said.

"She also said something about: Only we remain. Or so, it was rather strange.", Will explained.

"It must be really confusing to wake up with no memories at all.", Magnus said thoughtful.  
Silence stretched around them.

He had to say something.

"What's with the green liquid?", Will said.

"Well, it contains several key elements which could be used to induce a form of cryogenic stasis.", Magnus explained.  
"Strange.", Will said and began to walk back to his office.

"Ah, Dr. Zimmerman? I found your mobile phone.", Magnus sat, still standing in front of the door – holding his phone in her right hand outstretch to him.

He went back to her and took the phone. He couldn't remember losing it.

"Where did you find it?", Will asked confused.

Magnus grinned at him: "At the computer you had used recently – you seemed to have forgotten it on the writing pad with your numbers."

Was she humouring him? It seemed like that. But somehow it was really funny.

He smiled back: "Well I should take better care of my phone or I'll loose it one time at a Train-Station."

Magnus smiled at him – then turned around and walked into the direction of her office.

He knew she got the hint. And it was really funny like this.

She had made the remark with the writing pad and the numbers on it – and he with the Train-Station.

Of one thing he was sure: Magnus would really give him a hard time.

In a good way.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**H**e had called Meg – his ex-girlfriend – when he had been walking along the hallways – wandering around a bit.

Well she had asked him if he was happy – where he was now.

"Am I happy? Well … I'd defiantly say that I'm more stimulated here than in my old job.", Will said – well it was true.  
"Wherever here is. You won't even tell me where you're working.", Meg asked on the phone.  
Well he couldn't. The Sanctuary was secret – not for everyone to know.

And even so Magnus hadn't told him to keep it a secret – he knew he had to.  
"I told you, the people who run this clinic are totally into privacy. I'm bound by all these confidentiality agreements they made me sign.", Will lied. He didn't have to sign up anything for this job.  
"At least tell me the kind of work you're doing. I mean, is it more forensics? Or clinical? Or research-based?", Meg asked.  
"It's … You know, it's a little bit of everything, really … you know, cutting-edge stuff.", Will said.

Will stepped into the elevator, that had just arrived. In that moment Steve came running towards the elevator too.

"Hold that elevator!", he screamed.

Will did what he was told and Steve stepped into the elevator – clearly out of breath.

"What's up, new guy?", Steve asked.

Will didn't have anytime to answers – because Steve's head turned around – and the ugly face began to talk.

"I wanna eat your face.", he said.

Both of Steve – or how you could call it – began to laugh.

"What? Who's that?", Meg asked confused.

Damn.  
"It's a patient. Patients.", Will said fast.  
He hoped Meg wouldn't pick up that he had just lied.

"No, this is great, Will. I mean I don't know where you're working, or what kind of work you're doing, aside from everything. You're never at your apartment. It's like you just dropped off the map.", Meg stated – worry etched into her voice.  
"Well, I'm just putting in a lot of hours at the clinic, trying to get up to speed. You know how it is. Anyway, I just, I wanted to call and make sure you were okay.", Will said.

He had started a new life. He wasn't living in his apartment anymore. But he wouldn't tell her that right now.

"Well, whatever it is you are doing … you sound good.", Meg said encouraging.

"Well, thanks, I mean, it's no picnic, believe me, but … you know, half the time I wonder if I made the right decision, but … I am sleeping better … ironically.", Will explained.

Yeah, it was really funny. Now he really knew that monsters existed – and now he slept better.  
"Will, You're seeing someone, aren't you?", Meg asked – jealousy clearly obvious in her voice.

He was what? Definitely not.  
"What? No, Meg, come on.", Will said.  
"Forget it. It's none of my business. Look, I appreciate the call. Good luck with your new job.", Meg said fast, ready to hang up.  
"No, hey wait. Crap.", Will swore.

Meg had really hung up.  
She was jealous. Why would she assume that he was seeing someone?  
"Women, can't live with 'em … but you can eat them.", both faces of Steve said.

Will was leaning against the wall of the elevator.

He was sure that he wouldn't hear anything from Meg again. He just didn't know why she would assume that he was seeing someone.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. He saw Danu standing in front of a big window – looking out.

"What's the matter? You can't sleep?", Will asked.

"Dr. Zimmerman, I know Dr. Magnus asked we stay in our quarters, but the views from your windows … they are so captivating, I could not resist.", Danu said.

Will had to say she was right. The view of this whole place was just great.  
"What do you feel when you look out there?", Will asked.  
"I am … curious … and afraid.", Danu answered.  
"Afraid of what?", Will asked.  
"When I sleep at night, all I see are dead faces … haunting me … asking me why. You want us to remember who we are. Well, perhaps there is a good reason that we forgot." Danu said and turned back towards the window. She didn't look at him again.

So he continued his walk towards Magnus office

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill entered Magnus office – she was sitting at her desk, working. She looked up smiling.  
"I saw your light was on; you mind if I …", Will asked unsure.

He still wasn't used to this. To her.  
"No, of course. You're up late.", she said friendly.

"So are you. You keeping watch over the ranch?", Will asked.  
"I rarely sleep unless my patients do too. How is Danu?", Magnus asked interested.  
Unless her patients sleep? That's the perfect answer instead of – No, she almost never sleeps.

Maybe she was even worse than him!? – Will thought.  
"She's feeling a lot of irrational fear, low self-esteem, raw emotion. I've seen it before in kidnapping victims held for long periods of time. They tend to forget they have value and just start seeing themselves as property.", Will stated.

He had seen it thousand times – and he never got used to it.  
"That assessment may be far more accurate than you realize.", Magnus said.  
What was she talking about?  
"How do you mean?", Will asked irritated.  
"Have you ever heard of the Morrigan?", Magnus asked.

"The Morrigan? No, but, then again, I haven't been able to memorize that monster manual you gave me yet.", Will said.

All this was still a little bit too much for him.  
Magnus handed him an open book – with the topic of the Morrigan.

Sometimes appears as a crow … – read.

Well that was sounding really nice to him.  
"They're part of an ancient legend dating back to medieval times; three women with supernatural powers whose sole purpose was to destroy men.", Magnus explained.

Destroy men. Oh really nice!

"So I see we're back to the 1,200-year-old bath products theory.", Will said joking. Magnus grinned at him. A good sign – he thought.

"The Morrigan first appeared during the reign of King Arthur. Now, according to myth, when the Morrigan appeared on the battlefield, Arthur's enemies simply began dropping dead. Their souls drained of life. Entire armies were wiped out en masse.", Magnus said.  
"Do you honestly believe that they're witches? From the middle ages?", Will asked.

He didn't know what to believe now.  
"What history would have defined as a witch could have simply been someone with abnormal powers.", Magnus countered.  
"Yeah, but they don't have any, you said so yourself when you checked them out.", Will said – now he was confused.

"None that we've yet detected. Each of them was wearing one of these. Now, this is the mark of an ancient cabal of collectors who sought and exploited abnormals for their own personal gain and apparently guarded their possessions fiercely.", Magnus said – handing him a ring with special engraving.

Will looked at it closely.  
"So, why would this cabal hold the sisters prisoner if they don't have any powers?", Will asked.

This was still making no sense at all.  
Helen smiled at him: "Another reason why I'm not sleeping."

Oh, … just great.

More questions – and no answers.

How satisfying.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill sat on his chair when he felt some slight vibrating. Then he noticed his coffee cup shaking. So he closed his laptop and went downstairs into the cell level.  
"Easy, Steve. Easy.", Will said – trying to calm down an abnormal.

Were all people called Steve here?  
In the middle of the cell level were the three sisters. They had formed a circle and were floating in the air circling around.

The room was vibrating and he heard a strange high pitched sound.

He had to get them down.  
"Ladies … I'm pretty sure we have rules about … floating and stuff. What say you just come down and we talk about this?", Will yelled up to them.

He felt a pain in his whole body – and his head hurt like hell. He started to sway.  
Suddenly he saw sparks flying around – blasting from equipment. Will was knocked hard to the ground.

Will couldn't see anything – but he heard something fall down and hit the floor.

"That's quite enough of that.", he heard Magnus say angry.

Will lifted his head and said: "I had everything under control."

Then he passed out.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**H**e had woken up and had been placed on a bed – so Magnus could treat him. He still wasn't quite back but he could listen to Magnus and Henrys conversation.

"You know how when stuff blows up and I say – Man this is gonna cost you – and you say –Henry, stop being so dramatic?", Henry began – still examining some of the equipment.  
Will would have laughed at that – if it wouldn't hurt so much.

"Henry!", Magnus said, in front of Will.

"This is gonna cost you.", Henry answered.  
"What was affected?", Magnus asked – cleaning up Wills ears of his own blood.  
"Well, the central lab, mostly. Diagnostics, MRI systems are gonzo and I think our Internet is down.", Henry explained.  
"What about security protocols?", Magnus asked.  
"Well, redundancies kicked in, so nothing mean and ugly got free, which is good, but our perimeter alarm systems are totally fried, which is bad.", Henry said.

"Focus on external defences. Leave the lab for later.", Magnus ordered.  
"Why, are we expecting more trouble? Yeah, no, that was a stupid question. I'm outside.", Henry said and left the room.  
"Witches from the middle ages, okay, I'm almost there. But assuming their physical forms could somehow be preserved … again, how is it possible that they can speak like us?", Will asked – he still couldn't hear so good and his voice sounded strange to his own ears.  
Magnus was still cleaning them.  
"I'm assuming that each of them is a teleaesthetic, enabling them to quickly learn our vernacular of English.", Magnus stated.

Maybe.  
"Psychic powers, mind reading, well, now we know what this cabal wanted them for.", Will said.  
"Yeah, for all the good it's done us. Hold still.", Magnus said.

He knew that she blamed herself for what had happened. For the damaged equipment and for his injuries. But she didn't know!  
"Hey, you didn't know what they could do.", Will said.  
"I should have, the moment I connected them with the cabal. Performed more invasive scans, psychotropic drug therapy … ", Magnus insisted.

"You're running a medical facility, not Guantanamo Bay, cut yourself some slack.", Will said.  
He didn't want her to feel guilty about what had happened. She had rescued him. Without her he may be dead and more could have been destroyed.  
"You don't understand; assuming the cabal are after them, and we'd be fools not to, the amount of kinetic energy that they released could hardly go unnoticed. We're all in imminent danger. They cannot remain here.", Magnus said.  
"And what does that mean?", Will asked worried.  
"It means that if the legend of the Morrigan is even slightly true, they could conceivably swipe out hundreds, even thousands of lives, given the chance.", Magnus stated.  
"We're not talking about a bunch of velociraptors here. Before their memories came back, they were calm, rational women and even when they did let loose with their powers, they didn't kill me. They just … melted my brain a little bit.", Will said – even so he knew that wasn't quite true.  
"And destroyed half my facility.", Magnus said – looking around the room.  
"Well, they've been held prisoner for hundreds of years; they had a right to be pissed. It doesn't mean we can't reason with them.", Will said.  
"All three will remain under sedation, at least for the time being.", Magnus said.  
"How long is that? Forever? How does that make us any different than the cabal who imprisoned them in the first place?", Will asked.

And he saw had he had hit a nerve. She looked at him and he thought she would say something – but she just turned around and left the room. Leaving him sitting on the bed in the large room.

Maybe he should have said that a little more gently.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill went into the prison cell – where all three sisters were. Magnus had put them into separatecells and put two of them already into stasis.  
But Danu was still awake. She had insisted on talking with Will first. So here he was – standing in front of the glass listening to her.  
"Dr. Magnus was right, we should never have been woken up.", Danu said.  
"You can't stay asleep forever, Danu. You deserve to be free.", Will explained.  
"Our purpose is not to be free. Our purpose is to bring death to the enemies of the cabal.", Danu countered.  
"And you think we're the enemy?", Will asked.  
Interesting question, Will – he thought.  
"You took us from our home, away from our protectors.", Danu said.  
"You were held prisoner in a crypt. What kind of a home is that?", Will said.  
"If our masters deem it so, then it is so.", Danu said.  
He couldn't believe what he had just heard.  
"No. That's what they want you to think. They want you to believe that they're your protectors, but they're not. They're using your powers for their own good.", Will explained.  
"They gave us life, they gave us our powers.", Danu insisted.  
"Who says you weren't born with these gifts. That this cabal simply found you and forced you to kill for them? You asked me how you could all suffer from the same disorder, this dissociation between what's real and imagined. It's because somebody planted those thoughts in your heads. And the sooner you realize those thoughts aren't real, then you'll remember who you truly are.", Will said.  
"A thousand men … ", Danu started.

"Danu.", Will interrupted her – he didn't want to hear that.  
"A thousand men marched on Badon Hill that morning. All were dead before nightfall, all without the touch of either sword or spear. And now that we are free, more will die. That is our purpose, Will.", Danu said.  
"Until now, because you didn't think you had a choice. But you do.", Will said.  
They had to have a chance.  
"How can we ever be free after all that we've done?", Danu asked before she went into stasis.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill was tired – he had argued with her the last 10 minutes and they weren't going anywhere.  
"As long as they're conscious, they are a threat. As long as they're here, they are a threat.", Magnus said.  
"Danu's psychological state is so fragile right now, any more trauma, any more amnesia, she may never be this self-aware again. I can get through to her. I just … need more time.", Will said.  
He had to help them – he had to try.  
"Time is not something we have in abundance, Will.", Magnus said harshly.  
"Listen to me. Listen to me. She has been brainwashed to think this cabal is all-powerful. I mean, come on!", Will said.  
Magnus cell phone sounded – she took it and answered it.

"Ashley.", Magnus said worried.

So it was Ashley again.  
Suddenly Keepers came from the hallway, both Magnus and he had walked along. They were running straight towards them ready to attack.  
Magnus took his arm and dragged him forward – away from the creatures.

"Come on!", Magnus ordered.

He would have been terrified – if he had been alone. So he was happy that Magnus was with him right now.  
"Come in, Magnus. So, nasty creatures with bad dental work have reached the outer perimeters. I'd recommend a level-5 internal lockdown.", Henry said on the walkie.  
Magnus and Will were running down a long hallway – the Keepers only a few meters away from them.

Magnus stopped running.

What?

"Magnus …", Will screamed.

These Keepers would be here any second.

She pressed some keys on a wall panel and a door locked them from the other section.  
"That works.", Will said out of breath.  
Magnus was also breathing hard.  
"We need to get the Morrigan out of here immediately.", Magnus said.  
"Agreed. Any ideas?", Will asked.  
"Near the Shoe, there's an escape tunnel with an exit leading to the river and a safe house just outside the city. There's a map programmed into this. Take this.", Magnus said handing him a small device with a map.  
"What are you gonna do?", Will asked.

He had a bad feeling about all this.  
"You wanted time? I'm going to buy you some.", Magnus answered and handed him a weapon.  
He really had a bad feeling about this. And he didn't want to leave her alone here – but he had to get the Morrigans out.

So he started to run down the hallway.

Then he heard a few bullet shots and heard some fighting.

He wanted to go back to her – but he had to keep going.

He had to move forward – before the Keepers would get to him.

So he started to run to the cells.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill stopped the stasis and opened the cells. They all had to get out of here.

"Danu, we're getting you outta here.", Will said – waving for the others to follow them.  
"They've come for us.", Danus stated.

"That doesn't mean you have to go with them.", Will said.

He still hoped that he could help them.  
"They'll never stop looking for us. We must go with them.", Danu said.  
"Do you really believe that you deserve to live in a crypt? Because if you do, I won't stop you.", Will insisted.  
"You would free us?", Danu asked surprised.  
"Yes. We have to go right now.", Will said and began to run – the three sisters following him.

He just hoped that time was on their side.  
They ran down a hallway.

"Where are we going?", Tatha asked.

He saw some Keepers coming their way. He had to stop them – or no one of them would make it out alive. He had to attract the Keepers attention and lead them away from Danu and the others.  
"Away from here. Go, go, go! Take this. It's a map. Follow the purple line.", Will ordered and gave the map to Danu.  
"Will, I … ", Danu said.  
"Go!", Will yelled.

He began to run again.

Oh, run, run, run.

He knocked down barrels and boxes – so the Keepers had to climb over them before they could continue their pursuit after him.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**W**ill had been wandering around. And he had been happy he hadn't met the Keepers yet.

Suddenly Ashley came running towards him – she was wet from head to toe. And he wondered what had happened to her. A few Keepers following her.

He felt so happy to see a friendly face again.

"Shoot 'em!", Ashley screamed at him.  
He couldn't.  
"I can't!", Will said still holding the weapon high.

He couldn't fire a gun.  
Ashley attacked the keepers hand to hand and then grabbed Will's arm with the gun. She fired his gun and the remaining keepers dropped dead to the floor.  
"That never gets old.", Will said.

That was … whoa.

"You left the safety on.", Ashley just stated handing him the weapon back.

Safety on? Oh, he really had no knowledge of guns.  
"You know, I'm gonna play to my strengths. You … you shoot people.", Will stuttered.  
"Okay. Follow me.", Ashley ordered moving out of the room.  
After turning around the next corner he spotted Magnus.

"Mom! Are you okay?", Ashley asked worried.  
"I'm fine. Did you get them out?", Magnus said – and then turned to Will.  
"I think, if they can read Google maps; they should be on their way.", Will answered.  
Magnus looked around the room: "Where the hell is Henry? "  
"Here.", Henry said.

All of them turned around and Will could see Henry entering the dark room– the Cabal behind him.  
"This is a private medical facility. You are trespassing on my property.", Magnus said.

She and Ashley had raised their guns.

"Trespassing? You have stolen what is ours. The Morrigan belong to us. Hand them over now or we tear this place apart.", one man of the Cabal said.

Most likely the leader – Will thought.  
"I don't know what you're talking about.", Magnus said.

Magnus said it – as if she really didn't know what they were talking about. But living as long as she had – she most likely knew how to sound convincing. To him – she did.  
"My Keepers are keyed to find them, no matter where they go.", the Cabal leader said.  
"Your Keepers are dead all over my house. Do you have any more?", Magnus said coldly.

The Cabal leader stared at her angry: "Last chance. No more games."  
"Ashley?", Helen said.  
"It'll get messy, but just say the word.", Ashley answered – right beside her mom.

"Take their weapons.", the Cabal leader said and all the Cabal personal stepped forward.  
But then the Cabal were thrown to the ground. Will didn't know what had happened.

Until he turned around and saw Danu, Caird and Tatha enter the dark catacombs.  
"Stop. There will be no more killing. We will go quietly. But we ask that you leave these people unharmed.", Danu ordered.  
"You don't make demands. You do as we say.", the Cabal leader insisted.  
"They did not take us out of greed, but out of charity. We ask you leave them unharmed.", Danu said.  
"It seems that a taste of freedom has changed their demeanour.", Magnus said smirking.  
Well, it did.  
"We take back what's ours, you and I have no problem.", the Cabal leader said harshly.  
"These women are under my protection; they're not leaving with you or anyone else, for that matter.", Magnus said.  
Good, she would protect them when needed – Will thought.  
"Then we have a problem.", the Cabal leader said.  
"Danu, please, stay with us. We can protect all of you.", Will said.  
He had to convince them of staying – for their own safety and the safety of many other people.  
"If we stay, none of you will ever know peace.", Danu said.  
"You have shown us a path, a truth we have never seen before.", Caird explained.  
"And we are grateful, for all that you have done.", Tatha said.  
No!  
"No. No, you can't go, not now.", Will said.

They weren't anybody's property.  
"Our freedom must be earned. In our own way. We know who we are now.", Danu said.  
"Put them in separate trucks. I'd be careful what you do next; the people I work for aren't the forgiving type.", the leader of the Cabal said.

His other men stepped forward and took the three sisters. Leading them out of the catacombs out of the Sanctuary.  
"Neither am I. Tell them this is far from over. Now, get off my property.", Magnus said demanding.  
The Cabal left – laughing.  
Will knew that Magnus would do what she had to do. And if he had been that man – he would be really careful.  
When the Cabal had left Will turned to Magnus: "You think we've lost them?"

She just looked at him and said: "You tell me."

Oh, how he hated it – when she did that.  
"I think I needed more time.", Will said.

Maybe then he would have been able to get trough to them.  
"I think you've done more good than you realize. We gave them the choice to be free. What they do next is up to them.", Magnus said.

And she was right. But still – he didn't like these Cabal. What would they do to Danu and the others? Experiment with them – and then kill them? He just didn't know and he wanted to know.

He wanted to know what happened to the people the Sanctuary was unable to protect.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

**The End****  
**

**Next Episode – Next chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**Folding Man**

**This story takes place during ****Folding Man.**

**At the beginning the story it's from the point of view ****of Will.**

**H****ope you enjoy it.**

**I know that it took a while to upload the new chapter – but I hope it has been worth the wait.**

**Happy about feedback – as always ;).

* * *

**

**W**ill was on his way into the library. Magnus had told him that they would have a meeting there around 9 o'clock. He had been to the bakery to get some bagels. When he entered the library a funny picture was presented to him.

Henry was sitting at his computer – as always. Ashley and Magnus were standing on either side of Henry. Magnus had a hand on her hip – what made her even more intimidating for him.

Will stepped in front of the trio.  
"I did say 9:00, didn't I?", Magnus asked Ashley.

"Sorry I'm late. Bagel run, assorted savoury, poppy seed for the big guy and two kinds of schmear.", Will explained.

Seriously - he got something to eat.  
Henry and Ashley just stared at him with blank expressions. Magnus on the other hand – was grinning at him.

What the hell was so funny about him getting some bagels to eat? – Will asked himself. Maybe he should read the house rules again.  
"What? Okay, don't tell me that you wanted raisin.", Will said.

Maybe he had just misunderstood what they liked.  
"There's an interesting case I'd like you to see. Henry?", Helen said.

Will moved beside Ashley so he could see the monitor better. Henry typed some commands into the computer and a video file appeared.

"Security footage, from a pawnshop robbery last night near the campanile.", Magnus explains.  
What? How?  
"How the heck did you get into the precinct LAN?", Will asked confused.

He had never seen or heard that anyone had been capable of doing that.  
"Well, I'd like to take credit for that, but I got the password from the boss.", Henry said.  
But Magnus wasn't anyone – she was Helen Magnus. Whatever!  
"And you got in? How?", Will asked this time looking at Magnus.  
"Now, where would a girl be without her secrets?", Magnus answered and smiled at him.

Oh, he hated it when she didn't answer his questions and tried to distract him with her charming smiles or changing the subject. Because it worked almost every time. Like this one.  
"That's … Not an answer.", Will stuttered.  
"I know.", Helen said – and again she smiled coyly at him.

Damn her – and her tactics.  
"You'll see the owner shift his weight. That's the foot-operated silent alarm.", Magnus explained pointing at the video.

Will watched the video and then something caught his eye. There – the gold.  
"Hey … Henry, can you go back for a sec?", Will said.

He wanted to be sure before he told them what he thought he saw.  
Henry typed something into the computer and the video rewound itself.

There!

"Yeah, right there. Now, zoom in. Huh …", Will said pointing at the robber.  
"Check that out, looks like he's scooping up all of the gold jewellery and leaving everything else, including the diamonds.", Will explained.  
"Okay, that's just wrong.", Ashley said beside him.  
"Interesting – fast forward if you would.", Magnus ordered.  
Interesting – Really?

Henry pressed some keys and the video moved faster – stopping at some point again.  
"Now, they react to the siren and become frantic. And this gunman fatally shoots the owner in the back.", Magnus explained.

The owner fell to the floor.  
"Brutal.", Will stated.

He never got used to this.  
"The two robbers split up, and one is pursued down an alleyway.", Magnus said.  
"There's the dashboard camera from the cruiser.", Henry said.  
The imaged change a bit. A man was running down an alley.  
"And into a coal chute basement.", Magnus stated.

A robbery okay – but what the hell had this to do with them, the Sanctuary?

"Okay, I'm still not getting why this ends up on our radar.", Will asked rather confused.  
"Just wait.", Ashley said.  
"The officers enter the basement just moments after the gunman did. And once inside, they report that there's absolutely no sign of him.", Magnus explained.  
"So, what, he just … Disappeared?", Will asked.

"According to the police, there was absolutely no way this man could have possibly exited. It's all in the police report.", Magnus said.  
Then she handed Will a file

"Quite the enigma.", Magnus said.

Will took the file and studied it closely.

Interesting – Will thought.  
"Have I taken your mind off bagels?", Magnus asked.

Will turned to her again – slightly confused. And again he was met by a smile from her.  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure, knock yourself out.", Will said.  
He picked the bag with the bagels up and held it towards them. Henry took the bag. And Will started to walk out of the room.  
Will turned around again – in time to see that Henry had taken his bagel out of the bag and was starting to eat it rather rapidly. Ashley was taking hers out of the bag. And Magnus stood where she had been the whole time – a very nice knowingly smile on her face.

He had to get out of here or he would go crazy – Will thought.

So he turned around again and walked to his office – the file still in his hand.

* * *

**W**ill had spent the last 45 minutes studying the file Magnus had given him – and he found it rather interesting. A man disappeared after vanishing into a coal chute basement.

He wanted to know what Magnus wanted to do. But Will recognized he hadn't asked her that.

Time to go to her, and ask her – Will thought.

He walked down the hall and knocked at her door.

"You may enter.", Magnus voice came from the other side of the door.

Will opened the door and stepped into her office. A place he really liked. It had this great window where the sun would shine in. And Magnus had set the whole room up so comfy.

Will closed the door behind him and then spotted her.

Magnus was moving around – arranging some folders into a shelf. Some seemed rather heavy.

Help her! Don't just watch, idiot! – a voice screamed inside his head.

He walked straight towards her. She had her back turned to him – maybe she didn't even notice that he had entered. She had 4 large folders in her arms. Will stepped beside her – and let his arms slip under hers.

She looked up – surprised.

Surprised to see someone here? Or surprised that you stand there with your hands reaching out? – Will asked himself.

She lifted her eyebrow in question and Will knew he had to explain.

"Just lifting some weight.", Will said smiling.

Still his hands under her arms – ready to take the folders from her – if she wanted.

Magnus smiled back and let got of the folders. They slipped from her delicate arms onto Will's. He wanted to put them onto the third level of the shelf but stopped not sure if she wanted them there.

Will turned around to look at her – this time it was his eyebrow that went up to ask her a question.

"In the top, please.", Magnus said smiling and started to walk to her desk.

How could they already communicate without speaking so much? – Will thought.

He put the folders in the top level and went over to her. She had poured them both a cup of tea. Sliding one cup in his direction and taking the other one.

Will sat down and took the cup. He needed something to drink – even if he rather drank coffee. But somehow coffee was banned from this place. He had to change that, Will thought.

"Thanks.", Will said.

Both of them drank their tea in silence. Magnus sitting behind her desk and Will in the chair in front of her. At first he had found her intimidating – and sometimes she still was. But he liked spending time with her – finding out more about the world she had been living for so long. A world with daily mysteries – a world with daily danger.

A world he didn't even know that it existed a while ago.

Her voice was it, that brought him back to the reality.

"You most likely came here for a reason.", Magnus said – cup still in one hand.

What, what reason?

Will didn't know what she was talking about. And his face must have given him away – because Magnus grinned at him and started to laugh slightly.

"Or did you just want to help your new employer rearranging her shelves?", Magnus asked him with a straight face.

Oh! She wants to know why you're here. – Will thought.

He smiled at her and answered: "Maybe. You pay me don't you?"

"Naturally.", Magnus answered.

"Well if anything would happen to you. Who would sign my pay check?", Will asked.

"I don't know!", Magnus said, "I think you would have to look for a more efficient and challenging job."

He looked her straight in the eye: "Don't think I would find one."

Both smiled at each other – then she asked again: "What was your reason to come here?"

"I wanted to ask you something about that robbery. Are we going to search for that guy? I mean look for any indication where he might have went?", Will asked.

"Yes, Will. We are going to the coal chute basement.", Magnus explained.

"And when you say we – you mean …?", Will asked.

"You, Henry, Ashley and myself.", Magnus continued.

"Okay, when are we going …", Will started but was interrupted.

Magnus mobile phone started to vibrate on her desk. She took it and answered it right away.

"Yes, honey?", Magnus asked – looking at her desk, Will still sitting in front of her.

"Okay. Did Henry pack the equipment I told him to …", Magnus asked, but seemed to be interrupted in the middle of her question.

She seamed to talk to Ashley.

"Okay. Will and I are going to meet you in 10 minutes. – Love you too.", Magnus said – then put her phone into the pocket of her jacket.

"Ashley?", Will asked.

Magnus looked at him: "Yes, obviously."

"Then we should be going.", Will said standing up.

"Yes, we should.", Magnus said and stood up – walking towards the door opening it.

"Magnus?", Will asked.

He had a question burning in his head since this morning.

She turned around, the doorknob in her hand – the door half open.

"Yes, Will?", she asked.

"This morning, at the meeting – you all reacted strange when I brought the bagels.", Will said.

"We did? When exactly?", Magnus asked – turning to him, letting go of the doorknob.

"Yes, I told you that I brought you the bagels and which spices I had for everyone. And then Henry and Ashley started at me – as if I had brought back a living gnu. And you …", Will explained.

Magnus grinned at him: "And I?"

"You did this exactly. Grinning at me – like I made a fool outta myself.", Will sighed.

"You didn't.", Magnus said taking on the serious mode, "On the contrary."

Okay – now he was confused. This woman could just say one sentence and he wouldn't know where left and right was.

Magnus walked towards him and stopped shortly in front of Will. Looking him straight in the eyes. Her eyes were serious when she said the next sentence.

"Will, the spices you choose for each of us. They were perfectly correct.", Magnus explained.

They were correct. Well he had just guessed them.

"I had just made a guess.", Will said confused.  
"A right one, Will. You have got a great ability. And I want to help you use it to the fullest.", Magnus stated.

Magnus had walked almost out the door before she turned around again. She looked at him.

"You do want to join us?", Magnus asked.

"Oh, I do.", Will said sprinting after her.

Following her – through the long hallways – into a new adventure.

* * *

**T**hey had arrived at the scene 20 minutes ago. He had been the first to slide down the chute. Well he volunteered.  
It was dark and cold there.

Magnus was next – she slid down the chute and in the next moment she was standing on her feet.

Will asked himself if Magnus had ever disgraced herself in front of anyone. This woman had an aura around her – fascinating.

Will started to look around with his flashlight and he could see Magnus doing the same behind him. Then he heard another person slide down the chute.

That must be Ashley – he thought.

"No tape, no seal.", Ashley said.  
"Crime lab finished their sweep this morning.", Magnus explained.  
"Concrete floor, no windows …", Will said confused.

How the hell could that guy escape?  
"This doorway was bricked over decades ago.", Magnus said – illuminating a wall with her flashlight.  
"And if he didn't leave the way he came in …", Ashley asked.  
Good question.  
"Oh, please don't tell me we have another teleporter.", Will asked.

Please, no. The hair in his neck was still standing to all ends, when he thought about his encounter with Druitt. And Will could also see a change in Magnus expression. She really didn't like that topic.  
"Not likely, but I'm not ready to rule anything out quite yet.", she said.  
That looks interesting.

"What about this?", Will asked and shines his flashlight onto a pipe.

A only 10 inch big pipe.  
"That?", Ashley asked, standing right behind him.  
"Yeah.", Will answered.  
"Yeah, sure if he morphed into a boa constrictor.", Ashley stated.  
How could a child be that different from her mother?  
"No, Will's right, if only as a potential place that the robber hid his booty.", Magnus explained – examining the pipe.  
"I never saw a man with that small a booty.", Ashley stated grinning.  
Totally different – Will thought.

He looked over to Magnus – who was shaking her head in frustration.  
"We did bring Henry's camera?", Magnus asked.  
"Uh, yeah, we did. It's in the van.", Ashley said – turning around walking back to the chute.  
How the hell does Ashley get back up? How the hell did they all get back up?  
"Hey down there?", Ashley yelled from the entrance.

Will turned his head to Magnus – but she just looked a him.

So he turned around and went to the chute. He could see Ashley upstairs.

"Will, I'll send down the camera. Ready?", Ashley said holding a big case in her hands.

"I would advise you to catch it before it hits the ground.", Magnus said – she had crouched down to the floor looking into the small pipe.

"And if I don't? You could just buy new stuff. Don't cha?", Will asked Magnus – positioning himself so he could catch the equipment correctly.

"I could. And I will take the money from your earnings.", he heard Magnus say.

"You would really do that?", he asked.

She didn't answer – but he knew the truth already.

Oh, yes she would do it.

"Ready!", Will screamed.

"Dude, I'll send the package.", Ashley said and a few seconds later a case slid down the chute – straight into Wills arms.

"Got it.", Will said moving the stuff over to Magnus.

"No lowering in your payment.", Magnus said – unpacking the big case.

He heard Ashley slide down again.

* * *

**A**fter only 4 minutes the camera was ready. They all kneeled down.

Magnus put the camera into the pipe. Ashley was piloting it.  
"That's a nice toy.", Will said.  
"A 'toy' like this helped discover several secrets of the great pyramids. All right, go slow.", Magnus explained – watching the images on the monitor – send by the camera.  
Was there something? Why did she stop?  
"Switch on the U.V.", Magnus ordered.

Ashley pressed a button and the perspective of the camera changed.  
"U.V. is up.", Ashley stated.  
There he could see it – a fingerprint.

Magnus did a really good job – Will thought.

"Got ya.", Will said to himself.

Both women turned to him. Magnus was grinning at him again.

A slight sense of déjà-vu?

"Well, we are smarter than him.", Will explained himself.

* * *

**T**hey had driven back. And were now standing in the main room of the Sanctuary. One big monitor showing the fingerprint they had found.  
"So how does a fingerprint get that deep into the middle of a 10-inch pipe?", Will asked.  
"Well, it doesn't, unless a person squeezed in that far.", Ashley said.  
And how?  
"Yeah, but you saw the size of that guy.", Will stated.  
"Well, I've seen stranger things.", Ashley said turning to Henry.  
Why is she looking at Henry now? Did I miss something, again?  
"Okay, seriously, why are you staring at me?", Henry asked indignant.

Magnus shook her head in frustration.  
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were looking at a folding man.", Magnus said.  
A what?  
"A folding man?", Will asked.  
"Urban legend crops up in city after city, supposedly a man who's capable of collapsing his skeleton to fit through narrow spaces.", Ashley explained.  
"Although, the legend falls short of a feat like this, but it is possible that we're looking at some sort of super-folder.", Magnus continued.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa okay, just … help me out here.", Will stuttered.  
"You're familiar with a newborn's fontanelles?", Magnus asked.  
He new that one.

"Yeah the soft spot on the top of a baby's head sure.", Will said.  
"Nature created it so the child could fit through the birth canal.", Magnus stated.  
"Yeah, but for a newborn the head is the widest part of the anatomy. And, what, you're talking about is an adult … it's impossible.", Will said still confused.

Magnus looked around: "Will, look around you. Ten days ago you, would have said all of this was impossible. Henry, could you run the print?"  
Well, she was right – he thought.

"I'm on it.", Henry said.

* * *

**A**shley, Magnus and Will had been walking down a hallway. When Magnus stopped and opened a big wooden door – and motioned him to go inside.

What he saw was breathtaking. A big room with bookshelves everywhere. This room had to be occupied by hundreds of books – maybe even more.  
"Whoa. This place … you really like books. Do you?", Will asked jokingly.

"I do.", Magnus countered.

"Well I don't."; Ashley said from behind them.

Will and Magnus turned around to her. Will looking confused and Helen looked shocked – or the better word would be surprised.

"Not these books. I'm more the action-super-hero-super-woman type. If you know what I mean.", Ashley said walking past them into the library – sitting down on a chair.

"I bet.", Will said and started to walk into the room. Studying some of the book covers.

Magnus closed the door and took some books from a shelf and carried them over to Ashley.

Will was still walking around – looking at all those different books. He had never seen so many books in his whole life.

This place is amazing – he thought.

"So we search for what exactly?", Will asked.

"Ashley, could you get that book over there please?", he heard Magnus ask.

"Clear.", Ashley said and walked over to the book Magnus had indicated. She took it and brought it back to the table.

"Urban myths?", Will asked again.

"These urban myths we're talking about go back a lot further than contemporary sightings.", Magnus said.  
"But they're all part of what, the same phenomenon?", Will asked.  
"No, no, there's quite a range, flex-people, whole tribes with genetic defects in collagen synthesis. There's a sect of Shinto monks that are said to bow without bending." Magnus explained turning over the pages of a large book in front of her.

Will walked over to both women.  
"Then you've got your turn-of-the-century sideshow contortionists … The Human Corkscrew, Henry Athol The Boneless Wonder, and not the least, my personal favourite, Elastic Ed.", Ashley said pointing at a picture of a strange thin golden man.  
"But no one's ever been able to fully document these folding men?", Will asked – standing at the table between Ashley and Magnus.  
"Well, if they even exist, they must be quite elusive.", Magnus said joking.  
Elusive, funny. Wait a sec …  
"You know, there was this case that I worked on at the agency that never got solved but had a very similar set of circumstances.", Will said.  
"Austin, Texas, 2005.", Magnus said without blinking.  
What? How did she …  
"How do you know about Austin?", he said.  
"Are you serious? She knows when you switched from boxers to briefs, man.", Ashley said.

Will looked at Ashley. She couldn't be serious – could she?

Magnus just smiled – looking at the book in front of her.

"Ah … what's the similarity?", Ashley asked to change the topic.  
"Three bank employees gunned down in cold blood, and the robbers run into a vault with the cops on their heels, and apparently 'disappear'.", Will explained.  
What did Magnus really knew about him? Sometimes it was rather frightening.  
"According to Will's report, the only possible means of escape was a nine-inch-square ventilation shaft, a scenario that didn't win you many points, if memory serves.", Magnus said looking at him.  
"No, but it gets weirder. The only thing that was stolen in that robbery was half a million dollars … in gold.", Will said remembering the case.  
"Whoa.", Ashley said.  
"Do you think it's possible that Austin and our folding man are somehow connected?", Will asked Magnus.  
"At the very least it's a working theory.", Magnus said.  
"Mom, I still have to do the repairs on my bike. Could I?", Ashley said already standing up.

"Yes, go and the next time – try to be careful, so you don't have to do any repairs.", Magnus said.  
But Ashley had already stormed out of the door after Magnus had given her approval. So she didn't hear her mother lecturing her – or did she. The door that led out of the library was still open and Will knew that Ashley would have walked away even when she had heard her mother.

"Not easy with her?", Will asked Magnus.

She looked up to him: "Well sometimes she is a little stubborn."

Then she closed all the books and stood up to bring them back to their shelves. Will watched her from the table. After she was finished he walked to the exit – holding the door open for her – and closing it behind him after she had exited.

"And besides – she's my daughter. I know that I hadn't been the perfect daughter either. Especially not to my mother.", Magnus said, when they were walking down the corridor.

Will thought about Magnus. How she had been like as a child. A teenager. It was strange to think about that.

Will wanted to ask her what she had meant that she wasn't perfect for her mother.

In that moment they had just turned around a corner and met up with Henry.

No time to ask questions. Will thought. Well he wouldn't forget that question – he would ask it sometime – just not now.  
"Henry?", Magnus asked.  
"Got a rock-solid match on the fingerprint; belongs to a career lowlife named Malcolm Dawkens.", Henry said proud.  
"Is there a last known address?", Magnus asked.  
"Nothing recent, Lago Vista, Texas, about four years ago.", Henry said.  
Jake! – Will thought.  
"Lago Vista, that's right outside of Austin. I might be able to get the bank robbery case file from my old partner at the agency.", Will told Magnus.

* * *

**W**ill was standing on a subway platform. He was waiting for his old partner in the case – Jake Grant. Will had been working with him a lot before he had changed his job.  
"Will.", Jake said walking over to him.  
"Hey.", Will said.  
"Tell me the rumors aren't true.", Jake stated.  
"What rumors?", Will asked.  
"Working in-house for an internet gazillionaire, fired for insubordination, consultant for some sort of area 51 freakazoids? Take your pick.", Jake said.  
No, just working in a place called the Sanctuary – where we study and protect abnormals. Working for a 157 year old woman – whose ex-fiancé was Jack the Ripper.  
"Can't a man just run away and join the circus without being second-guessed?", Will asked.  
"Can't believe you want me to bail you out again.", Jake said.  
"How many times did I have to pull your fat out of the fire?", Will asked.  
"I kind of lost count.", Jake said shrugging his shoulders.  
"Is that it?", Will asked pointing at the file Jake had in his hands.  
"Case files, blood-work, everything from Austin Federal.", Jake said – handing Will the file.  
Good.  
"You're a good man, Jake, I don't care what anyone says.", Will said.

He really didn't care what the other said about Jake – Will knew that he was a good man.  
"I'll be gutted like a mackerel if they find out I brought this stuff to you.", Jake pointed out.  
"I just want to take a second look, that's all.", Will explained.  
"Out of the blue?", Jake asked sceptical.  
Nope.  
"Yeah."  
"Come on, Will.", Jake said – he didn't believe him.  
"Look, just call it a hunch, all right? If it bears any fruit, you'll be the first to know, I swear.", Will said – even so he wasn't sure he would be able to keep the promise.  
"Okay, you've got 72 hours. You compromise that evidence in any way; I'll swear you held a gun to my head.", Jake said.  
"That was my backup plan.", Will said walking away from Jake. Back to the surface. Bigfoot was waiting outside to drive him back to the Sanctuary.

Strange big fellow.

* * *

**W**ill opened the door of the waiting car and got into the backseat.

"Mmh", was the only thing he got from Bigfoot.

"Tell me something. How long are your already working for her?", Will asked. He could see that Magnus and Bigfoot had a good and friendly relationship and he was interested how long they knew each other.

"A long time.", Bigfoot grunted and drove around a corner.

"Well how long?", Will asked again. And he could see Bigfoot stare him down in the mirror.

"I mean ... with Magnus being ... well 157 years ... and so. I just mean that ...", Will stuttered.

He heard Bigfoot grunt again.

Okay, okay. I'll keep quite.

The rest of the way back to the Sanctuary was spend in silence. When they pulled through the gate Bigfoot parked the car and opened his door. Will copied him.

"I know her, since the day she shot me.", Bigfoot said and walked away.

"Oh, great. Now that was exactly the answer I had hoped for.", Will said.

* * *

**W**ill was studying some of the notes he had made himself – about the case. But right now he wasn't getting anywhere.

He heard someone enter the room. He had made himself at home in one of the smaller libraries – with more books.

Will guessed that there were thousands of books in the whole Sanctuary. Maybe one day, if he was bored he would count them all. Well, who was he kidding? It never got boring around here. Or did it?  
"Looks like your cold case file may have given us our first positive lead. I analyzed trace blood from that bank vault. It didn't match any of the victims.", Magnus said standing beside the couch Ashley had sat down – right in front of Will.  
"Which means it must have come from one of the robbers.", Ashley said.  
"Do you have a DNA match – cause we could never find one?", Will asked interested.  
"Nor did I, at least not to an individual who left it. But we did find someone right here in old city whose DNA matches 16 alleles out of the 20 that we looked at.", Magnus said.  
"That many genetic markers has got to be a close relative.", Will stated.  
"Probably the Austin thief's father. He's a 71-year-old by the name of Oliver Braithwaite. His DNA was in the system from a suspect sweep a few years back.", Magnus explained.  
Will would have liked to have her sources. That would have made his work in the past so much easier.  
"Do you have an address?", Will asked.  
"He's a drifter, from what we can tell.", Magnus said.  
"Hangs out in my favourite part of town, the old Bryant Street Corridor.", Ashley stated.

* * *

**A**fter all three of them had went to the Bryant Street Corridor they split up – to question the people around.  
Will walked to several people asking something like: "Excuse me, I'm looking for a man, Oliver Braithwaite."

But no one wanted to answer him or help him at all.  
Damn – they are no help.

When they all met up in the street Will asked: "Any luck?"

Ashley shook her head.  
"Did you find anything?", Magnus asked him.  
"Oh, yeah, I got a great recipe for a rubbing alcohol martini.", Will said.

No one wanted to talk to him.  
"They know the name. They just seem afraid to talk.", Ashley said frustrated.  
"Stay close.", Magnus ordered.  
She didn't have to say that twice – Will thought.

Magnus walked over to a man. Will and Ashley were following her.  
"I believe you're looking for me?", the old man said, stepping forward – other men appearing behind him, coming through thiny holes. Other folding men.

He looked old, tiered. He wore a long jacked and a hat.  
"Oliver Braithwaite?", Magnus asked.  
"Are you the police?", Oliver asked defensive.  
"No, absolutely not.", Magnus said.  
"Then you really have no business being here.", Oliver said and wanted to walk away.  
"My name is Magnus, Dr. Helen Magnus."  
Olivers head shoot up. That name meant something to him!  
"The Sanctuary?", Oliver asked.  
So the people knew about this place – just most of them didn't talk about it. Believing that it may only be a myth.

Magnus nodded.

Oliver turned to the men behind him: "It's all right, leave us."

And they did. They left them alone.  
"I heard about the Sanctuary ever since I was a boy. A good place, where people like ours are treated like human beings.", Oliver said with bright eyes.  
"But you're not …", Will said.

Well maybe the wrong choice of words – he thought.  
"We're better than human, we have the gift.", Oliver said.  
"The gift of folding.", Magnus stated.  
"My days of folding are long gone.", Oliver said.  
"We'd like to talk to you about your son.", Magnus said.  
"Aaron? Do you know where Aaron is?", Oliver asked hopeful – and Will could see that he really cared about his son.  
"He's missing?", Ashley asked.  
"He's taken up with a madman. I can't contact him anymore.", Oliver explained.  
Madman?

"We're talking about a folder?", Will asked.  
Oliver nodded: "They call him Nomad. He's taken the best of our youth, ripped them from their homes, turned them against their families. Aaron was going to study medicine."

"What's this Nomad's agenda?", Magnus asked.  
"Well, he may be crazy, but he's also a criminal genius. He gets folders hooked on this addictive drug of his. He's got some hotshot drug chemist to make it locally. If I could find out where; I'd kill him myself.", Oliver said angry.  
"We want to stop this Nomad too. Maybe we can help each other.", Magnus offered.  
"I just … Want my boy back, that's all.", Oliver said sadly.  
"We'll do everything we can I promise you.", Magnus said.  
After that Oliver nodded and left them alone again.  
"So, who would know about this high level of trafficking?", Will asked.  
"What about our high-flying friend Mr. Jones?", Magnus asked Ashley.

High-flying friend – Will asked himself.  
"Worth a try.", Ashley said.  
"You're going to trust an addict as an informant?", Will asked surprised and confused.  
"Of course not, he's a crime boss – controls most of the city's drug traffic.", Ashley stated.

* * *

**M**agnus had wanted Will to drive with Ashley to that Mr. Jones. Will didn't really like that idea. Ashley was still a little bit strange for him and he wasn't certain what he should think about a crime boss as an informant.

But Magnus had asked him and he had said yes. And right now he was sitting in a car with Ashley following her directions. The mood in their car was strange. Beside her instructions Ashley hadn't said a word.

Will didn't know if she was always like this or if she just didn't like him.

"Your quite!", Will said, taking a right turn.

"Mmh", was the only thing he got from Ashley.

Not again - he thought.

"Oh, please. Not you too.", Will moaned.

That got Ashley's attention: "Dude, what are you talking about?"

"Well when I had to drive with Bigfoot he didn't talk to me as well.", Will explained.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with you – you know?", she said.

Will stopped at a red traffic light and turned to her with a sceptical expression on his face.

"Okay, it has something to do with you – but not what you think.", Ashley tried to explain rather fast.

Okay!

"And what do I think you are thinking about me?", Will asked - a little baffled by his own sentence.

The traffic light switched to green and he began driving again.

"I think, that you think we don't like you. That we find you strange or so. But dude look around my mothers house – you are certainly not the strangest thing I have seen. Your not even on the list.", Ashley said.

"What is it then?", Will asked.

He had the feeling that everyone knew something – they all acted a little well stiff around him. Well beside Magnus.

"You are the new guy. The new sub-worker of my mum. We well – we try to check you out. You have to understand mum had a few co-workers …", she stopped.

"There's a but somewhere, right?", Will asked and passed a very slow driving car.

"Well, she hadn't one in a long time. I mean we know how each of us are working and – well, you are new. We don't know how you work. You understand?", Ashley explained.

He did.

"Yep. We're here.", Will stopped the car and wanted to get out of the car but Ashley stopped him.

"Hey, you stay here. I'll go up and talk to him – he isn't so good with strangers.", Ashley said and got out of the car and walked towards the building they had parked infront.

I have to give them some time. Time so they get to know me and time so I can learn more about them.

He turned the radio on – hoping for some entertaining music. He wasn't really sure how long Ashley had to talk to that guy.

* * *

**W**ill wasn't so sure if he had done the right thing. Magnus had wanted him to accompany her daughter. She most likely had a reason for that. And here he was – waiting in the car while listening to some strange music on the radio. He had changed the channel several times – but everywhere … Well on some channels there was playing folk music on others strange documentations about protozoan or the rubber-boat-killer.

He was sitting in a car that wasn't even his – and the person he had to drive here had been on the building a long time. He wasn't sure if he should follow her and check if she was okay. Or if he was just worrying because Magnus would kill him – if something happened to Ashley.

He could just call her! Yes.

He pulled his cellphone out when he door of the co-drivers was pulled open.

"Hi! Wanted to call someone?", Ashley asked and closed the door when she was in her seat.

"Nothing important.", Will said and put his cellphone back into his pocket and started the car.

"I will call mum. Can I have your cellphone?", Ashley asked.

Will looked at her.

Didn't she have her own one?

"It's in my pocket.", he said.

"Okay.", Ashley said and had the phone already on her ear.

"Mum – yes I got the information. He said that this Nomad wants to make a big move. Something about Friday evening – and that he is making his move on Mr. Jones. Yes, that's why he talked with me. Malcolm? Yes, right. That Malcolm guy had been spotted near the old cannery. That's all.", Ashley finished.

After Ashley had told Magnus all this – Magnus seemed to be in charge again. Telling her daughter what to do.

"Okay. We'll come straight home. Love you too. Bye", she closed the cellphone and turned to Will, "Drive to the old cannery."

What?

"But you told your mum that we were straight heading back.", Will stated.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. And we would do my mum a big favour if we find Malcolm.", Ashley explained with her puppy dog eyes.

Almost like her mothers – but not with such an intensity.

"Alright, show me the way.", Will said.

Ashley grinned at him – happy that she had just won. Then she waved his cellphone infront of his nose: "Stored her number – you will need it!"

* * *

**W**ill and Ashley were in a van. They had driven to the Nepune Cannery dock – after they had stopped at a factory – where they changed their car into a van.

Will stopped the van – so they could both exit.  
And there he could see a man – walking straight towards them.

"There he is.", Will said to Ashley.

But when he saw them he turned around and started to run away and slipped under a semi trailer.

"Get him.", Will yelled over to Ashley.  
Both of them started to run into different directions. Will came from the other side of a big truck when he saw that the guy was standing still.  
"I've got him!", Ashley said.  
"Malcolm!", Will asked him.

The man looked at both of them – then turned around and started running upstairs. All happened so fast that Ashley and Will had almost no time to react.

The guy jumped onto the other side into the loading docks.  
Will and Ashley started to run again.

Will could make out Magnus closing the back doors of another van in front of that guy – who seemed to be very surprised. But Malcolm wasn't the only one. Will was surprised as well.

Magnus wasn't supposed to be here!

* * *

**W**ill took one van – Magnus and Ashley the other with slippery guy in the back. So he didn't know what had happened between mother and daughter.

Ashley had lied to her and if Magnus wouldn't have been at the Nepune Cannery dock – well, Malcolm would have escaped.

He meet up with both of them when he stepped into the medical lab. Malcolm was in MRW – or was it MRI?

"I've sedated him. He'll be out for at least a couple of hours.", Magnus said walking away from the machine.  
"You know, you pass him on the street, you have no idea what he's capable of.", Will said.

"Of course, you could say that about almost anyone.", Ashley stated.  
He thought back to the day Magnus had talked to him outside of the hospital. In the pouring rain.  
"Well, here's a reminder that he's not like anyone. ", Magnus said while showing them a picture of Malcolms bones.  
"Wow, the gaps in the bone.", Ashley gasps.  
"Hinges crumple zones, if you will.", Magnus explained, then picked up a switch, "Now, watch. I'll trigger a localized reflex."  
As soon as she had pushed the button, that guy deformed himself.

Wow – Will thought.  
"Incredible.", he said.  
"Efficiency of form, but at what price?", Magnus asked.  
That was a very good question. From what he had learned almost every gift came with a curse as well.  
"I'd better see about transferring this guy to a cell.", Ashley proposed.  
"One without vents.", Magnus said smiling.

* * *

**A**fter he had helped Ashley to put Malcolm in a save room they were on their way towards Helens office. She had wanted to run some tests. And they should met up with her as soon as they were finished.

"So, did his blood tell us what he's addicted to?", Will asked.  
"Are you strapped in?", Magnus asked him.  
"I have been since I got here.", he answered.

I hope I am.  
"I'm guessing it's nothing you ever heard of.", Magnus said.  
Maybe it is...  
"I'm guessing its gold."  
She looked at him slightly startled.

"TPG... Tertiary phosphene gold how did you know?", she asked.  
"I didn't. I just figured it had to explain their obsession with it.", Will said.  
That was the truth. He had thought about the robbery – and why they had just stolen the gold. And there had been only two explanations.

One they were obsessed with gold because they liked the style – or they had a very important use for the gold. He had guessed the later.  
"So folding men steal gold and turn it into their own form of crack?", Ashley asked.  
"Gold's un-reactive to most chemicals, but it will bond to certain organic compounds. Now, this one's part of a whole new wave of metallotherapeutic pharmaceuticals.", Magnus explained.  
Okay? Whatever.  
"So it's a medicine?", he asked.  
"For Normals, yes, but for folding men, at least based on what I've seen of Malcolm's DNA, it creates a virtually instant craving. It likely also dulls the pain of folding, acting like a sort of beta blocker. Without it, the pain would be beyond excruciating.", Magnus told them.  
I bet the pain would be horrifying.  
"Well, if Jones is right, two nights from now, Nomad floods the market with this cheap, powerful TPG. It turns the whole society of folding men into his private criminal army.", Will stated.  
And that would be hell of a problem – he thought.  
"If this quantity of designer drug is being made locally, it'll leave a trail...we'll look for that. Meantime, find out what you can from Malcolm.", Magnus ordered.  
What about Jake?  
"Hey, what about the police?", Will asked.  
"What about them?", Ashley asked looking at him.  
"Well, I mean, this guy's an accessory to murder, maybe more...", he tried to explain.  
He had to tell them something.  
Magnus looked at him: "And what would you have us tell them? That their man's addicted to gold and that he slithers like a python?"  
She always had a point.  
"That's a good point.", Will answered.  
He had to talk to that guy.

"Would you mind if I talk to Malcolm? Maybe there is something I could find out." Will asked Magnus.

She nodded: "That would be a good idea. The drugs should wear of in a couple of minutes."

"Okay.", Will said already storming out of her office on his way towards the cells.

* * *

**W**hen he entered the room from where he could see into all the cells – he had already spotted Malcolm. He was pacing around infront of the window. He arms around his body.

"Where am I?", Malcolm asked, his voice sounded strained.  
"You're safe.", Will assured him.  
"Who says?", Malcolm asked defensively.  
"I'm Dr. Zimmerman, Will.", he said.  
"What is this place?", Malcolm asked – he was standing infront of the glass now and had stopped pacing – but his eyes looked around the room.  
Malcolm seemed afraid.  
"We call it The Sanctuary.", Will said.  
"Am I...The only one here?", he asked frightened.  
"Only abnormal, or do you mean another folding man? I don't know what you think you're hiding. We've seen what you can do.", Will explained.  
"So are there more here?", Malcolm's voice had taken a shimmer of hope.  
"What are you afraid of?", Will asked.  
Malcolm straightened up and answered angrily: "You chased me, you trapped me, you put me in this... in this cage. You experimented on me."  
"Well, that might make you angry, but that's not what you're feeling.", Will could see that. There was something else – something he was missing.  
"If he finds out I'm here, he'll kill me.", Malcolm said, already losing his posture again.  
"Nomad? Why would he kill you?", Will asked.  
"He gave me the signal, shoot to kill, and I...I hesitated.", Malcolm explained.  
"And that's a capital offence?", Will asked.  
"He came that close to executing me on the spot.", Malcolm stated.

"When we heard the police Nomad knew that the guy had hit the silent. He wanted from me to shoot him. He looked at me. But I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. So he turned back to the owner and shoot him. Nomad shoot him.", Malcolm explained.  
"How do I know you're not Nomad?", Will asked.

He didn't know why he had asked that question – but his feeling told him that there was something going on. Maybe he just wanted to check how Malcolm reacted.  
"Nomad never would've let himself get caught unless he wanted to be. He would've turned you into a stain on the sidewalk first. Why'd you bring me here? What do you want from me?", Malcolm said.

Well, he was sure that Malcolm was telling the truth. Nomad was the type of person that always had to have control. He wouldn't have let himself get caught.  
"I want you to help us get Nomad before he can do any more damage.", Will said.  
"Nomad's not the problem.", Malcolm said.  
Not?

"No?", Will asked.  
"You wouldn't understand.", Malcolm said turning away from Will.  
"Try me.", Will said.  
"You're the problem; the whole world of Normals. You can't accept those who are different.", Malcolm answered.

Not really true at a place like the Sanctuary.  
"This whole place is full of those that are different.", Will said.  
"What does that make you, the zookeeper?", Malcolm asked angrily.  
He knew what he meant. What right did he have to imprison those who were different. For them he was different. Could they imprison him as well? Wouldn't that be the same thing?  
"Well what about the drugs? They make it less painful.", Will asked.

"What, Normals don't use?", Malcolm said.  
"They don't use gold.", Will stated.  
"Ah, so if I shot heroin, I'd be a model citizen, right?", Malcolm answered.  
That wasn't what he had meant.  
"You know that he plans to exploit every last one of you?", Will asked – he had to let Malcolm see what a person Nomad was. That he was the bad guy – and that Will would help him.  
"He wants to free us.", Malcolm said slightly pacing again.

A sign of anxiety.  
"Children against their parents, Abnormals against Normals; how many more people like that pawn broker need to get wasted on the road to freedom?", Will stated.  
"I need a fix.", Malcolm said shivering.  
He was in withdrawal.  
"I'm sure you do.", Will said bluntly.  
"Let me guess, you used to set ant colonies on fire when you were a kid, right?", Malcolm asked looking at him.  
What?  
"Where's Nomad?", Will asked. He had to find that one out.  
"I may be weak, but I will not betray my kind.", Malcolm said.

That was bad. Will had wanted to earn his trust. So Malcolm would tell him what he wanted to know. But now he was at the start again. And he began to get frustrated – already.  
"If you give a damn about your kind, you'll see that what this lunatic is doing ensures their destruction.", Will said.  
Will wanted to help him. He wanted to help them all.  
"Go to hell.", Malcolm said turning away.

* * *

**W**ill was standing at the door of Magnus office. He had wanted to knock – but stopped when he heard Ashley say something. He couldn't make out what it had been but Magnus reaction told him that Ashley had spoken her mind once again.

He felt like a spy – when he leant onto the door trying to make out what they were talking about.

"Ashley!", Magnus said in a warning tone.

"Mum, I know but it's different this time.", Ashley said.

"What is so different about it, darling?", Magnus asked.

"I don't know … it's just, it's different.", Ashley tried to explain.

There still wasn't a sign what they were talking about. About something different? This time? What the hell were they talking about.

"We have done this a few times, Ashley. You sometimes had your problems with them, yes but …", Magnus said but Ashley interrupted her.

"Well, George was nice. The others were freaks.", Ashley said.

"Ashley!", Magnus said.

There it was again.

"Well, we are all freaks. I mean who lives a life like this? Who captures wolves and folding men? Who has a mother who has lived through Spanish-American War and the Hippie time? That isn't normal, mum!", Ashley explained: "And I didn't say I don't like him – I just said that it's different from the rest."

"He is different!", Magnus said with her soft voice.

He shoot back from the door – causing some noise.

There were talking about a man – a different man. They were talking about him.

The door infront of him opened.

"Hey afraid to come in?", Ashley asked grinning at him.

She was mocking him.

"Well I … I talked to Malcolm.", Will said and entered the office. Magnus was sitting on the couch, folder in one hand. Ashley closed the door and sat beside her mother.

"He said that Nomad wants to free them. That Nomad wanted their best. He didn't listen to me. Told me he needed a fix and wouldn't tell me anything.", Will said pacing infront of both women.

"It's pretty much what I expected.", Magnus told him.  
"I can get him to talk, I just need more time.", Will said.

Maybe he could convince Malcolm that Nomad was a bad guy. He had to try.  
"There's an expression amongst creature hunters: if you could teach a lion English, you still wouldn't understand him.", Magnus said.  
Oh, please?

"We're not talking about a wild animal here.", Will moaned.  
"Oh, Will, that's exactly what we're talking about. Only this guy's way more intelligent than most.", Ashley stated.  
"And, as a consequence, more dangerous.", Magnus said.  
Two women against him. Oh no, Magnus and Ashley against him. That was something completely different. Will sighted.  
In that moment Ashley was rising from the couch: "I'm late."  
"Going out?", Magnus asked looking at her daughter – expecting an honest answer.  
"Yeah. I owe it to Mr. Jones to tell him what we've learned.", Ashley explained.  
"Stay safe.", Magnus said.

Ashley placed a kiss on her mothers cheek. And began walking towards the door.

"And Ashley, take ...", Magnus began.

Ashley interrupted her: "Yes, I know. I'll take Bigfoot."

Then she was gone again.  
She seemed to always run out of a room – when her mother wanted to say something to her.  
It surprised him everytime. Ashley was a tough girl but her love for her mother could be seen clearly. He had seen the love between mother and daughter the first day he had been at the Sanctuary. The kisses, the hugs and saying that they loved each other. All that was a part of their life. And it was necessary in a world with monsters and dangers everywhere.

"Thinking about something, Will?", her voice startled him. And he realized he was still standing in her office – she still sitting on her couch.

She was looking up at him scanning his face.

He smiled at her: "Maybe."

She smiled back

His eyes caught the folder on her desk.

"What's this?", he asked.

"The Austin case.", Magnus answered.

"This isn't the file I had brought. Where did you get this?", Will asked surprised.

Magnus just grinned at him again.

Damn her.

"How about we look at the case again. Together! Maybe we'll find something.", Will suggested.

"Alright.", Magnus answered and handed him some documents from the folder.

This looked like his – oh, she wouldn't tell him were she got them.

That was one of her many secrets. And that was what made her that interesting.

* * *

**T**hey had sat together in a comfortable silence studying the files until Magnus phone was ringing.

"Alright Ashley, we'll be downstairs right away.", Magnus ended the call and stood up.

Will had noticed the tension when she had talked to Ashley.

He stood up as well: "What happened?"

"Come with me.", Magnus said and he followed her out of her office.

When they were downstairs Will could see Ashley and Bigfoot.

Bigfoot was moving a gurney around. A person lying on it. He had wings like a bat but those wings seemed to be injured. Will wasn't sure if that guy was dead or injured. Magnus and he rushed towards them.

"What happened?", Magnus asked while checking for a pulse. She stopped and her face fell a little bit. That answered Will's question. That guy was dead.

"Someone clipped Mr. Jones wings!", Ashley said looking from Magnus to Will.

So this was the guy she had talked to at the building. The guy who had helped them. And now he was dead. Killed. Had he been killed because he had helped them?

* * *

**"A**nd there was a struggle with the knife; undoubtedly at the top of the building. The assailant left traces of his own blood.", Magnus explained.

She had analysed everything Ashley had brought back.  
"Did you run it for DNA?", Will asked.  
"No matches to an individual, but genetic markers indicate it was definitely the blood of a folding man.", Magnus stated.

"Retribution for the help that he provided us?", Will asked.  
That was what interested him the most – right after who did this.  
"Not retribution, a power grab...control of the city's crime syndicate and hundreds of thousands in drugs and cash; just as Mr. Jones feared.", Ashley said moving around.  
Well, that isn't a better answer – Will thought.  
"No doubt Nomad will use it to pay for his truckload of TPG. We've got less than nine hours. If we don't intercept that drug shipment and Nomad gets his way, the city had better brace itself for a major crime epidemic.", Magnus said.  
"I still think Malcolm knows more than he's telling us.", Will said.

He was 100 percent sure about that. He'd bet his life on it.  
"Has he ever talked about Oliver's son?", Magnus asked.  
"Aaron? No, not yet. Why?", Will asked.  
"Well, based on his father's description, I think he might be a chink in Nomad's armor. Intelligent, close to his family … see what you can find out.", she said.  
Why didn't he think of that?

"All right.", Will said – already on his way towards the cells again.

* * *

"**T**he gold drug...when does it arrive?", Will asked.

Since he had been down here Malcolm hadn't said a word and this was making Will angry.  
"Austin Federal, 2005.", Will said again – and this time he got a reaction.  
"That one took you down a notch, didn't it? What, did you expect me to deny it? Nomad knew more about you than you knew about him. Irony was, you came so close to breaking that case. He got a real kick out of that." Malcolm said satisfied.

Will tried to ignore it: "Were you in the vault with him?"  
"Yeah.", Malcolm said.  
"That didn't bother you?", Will asked.  
"Of course that bothered me. The bank manager was begging for his life … said he had two little kids, one with serious mental problems … Nomad just shot him in the head laughing the whole time.", Malcolm said.

This time Will knew he got somewhere, because the killing seemed to be hard for Malcolm.  
"All those years, you didn't think about just walking away?", Will asked.  
"And go where? We had to stay together for safety. Why is … why is that so hard for you to understand?", Malcolm asked – he was shivering again.  
"Why don't you tell me about Aaron Braithwaite?", Will said.  
Something happened on Malcolm's face – but as fast as it had come it was gone again.  
"Aaron wanted to stand up to him.", he stated.  
"Did you ever consider listening to him?", Will asked.  
"No, you don't get it. You have no idea what Nomad is like.", Malcolm said.

"Tell me.", Will pushed.  
Now we are getting somewhere.  
"He makes you weak and then he tears you apart. And then he puts you back together; only it's his way this time. Aaron always said if we had any chance of breaking his hold on us; we'd have to stop using.", Malcolm explained: "He said that we had to fight back, together, to see our families again. The gold … the gold drug has always been the key. Nomad has to keep us hooked on it."  
"You must be going through hell.", Will guessed.

"I'll survive. I can fight it.", Malcolm answered.

"But can you fight him?", Will asked.  
"Not by myself.", said Malcolm.  
"How many more innocents are you going to help him slaughter? Help me, Malcolm.", Will begged.  
Will could see the fight inside of Malcolm. He fight between good and bad.  
Then Malcolm started to talk again: "Aaron talked about a place … about a place we could go to … if we ever got away from Nomad."

"Did he ever say where that place was?", Will asked.

"In an old building, an apartment at the end of the corridor at that big park – no one visits anymore.", stated Malcolm.  
"Okay Malcolm. I'll leave you alone again. And thank you.", Will started to walk back to Magnus office. They had to get to that building.

* * *

**W**ill had told Magnus what he had learnt – then they collected Ashley and Will drove them towards the building.

Now they were standing infront of a door – the last door at the end of the corridor.

Magnus and Ashley were standing behind him. Will kicked against the door – which flew open and crashed to the floor. He stepped inside – or better to say outside. This place had no ceiling and old furniture was lying around everywhere. The smell was even worse.  
"If Aaron was in that apartment, he must have moved everything out.", Will said.  
"You think these might be his things?", Magnus asked looking for any signs of a recent visitor.

"Maybe.", said Will.  
"Or maybe Malcolm led us on a wild goose chase.", Ashley said – then she opened a washing machine.

"Oh, god!"

He didn't know which of them had said it. All three of them were standing around the open washing machine. Inside was Aaron most likely.

* * *

**M**agnus had called Oliver when they were on their way back to the Sanctuary. He had agreed to meet them there.

Since Magnus had told him that Aaron was dead – Oliver hadn't said a word.

He and Magnus were sitting on the couch. Will was sitting across from them. He could see the guilt and the pain on the face of the old man.  
"I'm so sorry. When we promised you that we would find your son, I never imagined that it would be like this.", Magnus said sympathetic.

Oliver looked at her: "I wanted Aaron … to be a doctor. I could imagine him working in a place like The Sanctuary. He … he was a smart boy. He was kind. What is there left for me? What's left for any of us?"  
"We will find that Nomad.", Will said.

Both Magnus and Oliver looked at him.

"Dr.?", asked Henry, who appeared in the door.

Magnus nodded towards Henry then spoke to Oliver: "Henry will get you to your car. I will inform you of any changes."

Oliver took Magnus hands: "Thank you."

Then he stood up and followed Henry – who closed the door behind him.

"That must be hard.", said Will.

"Yes, losing someone so close especially a family member will never be easy. It's devastating.", Magnus said.

"I know.", said Will.

He often thought about his mother, and he had nightmares almost every day. But since he came to the Sanctuary it got better.

"Yes.", Magnus said.

Will thought about how many people Magnus had lost through the years. A dozen friends, colleges and family.

"We have to find that Nomad.", he said.

"I agree. But right now we haven't got anything. I will talk to Henry about the compounds of the drug. I hope there is a possibility to find where the drug is made.", Magnus explained.

"A good idea. I will talk to Malcolm again. Maybe he knows something. Especially now that we know what happened to Aaron had been killed.", Will said.

"You think he will tell you where Nomad can be found?", Magnus asked with a hint of distrust.

"He told me about the place we found Aaron. And he seemed to be his friend. So yes, I hope he helps us again. After what Nomad did to them and Aaron.", Will stated.

Will didn't like the look Magnus gave him.

"What's on your mind? Magnus?", Will asked her.

"I don't want to lecture you. And you have been able to get the information about Aaron's whereabouts …", Magnus started.

"But?", Will asked.

He wasn't sure what she was going to say.

"I think you should be careful how much faith you put into Malcolm.", Magnus stated.

"I don't think he'll lie to me. And his information were of use to us, already.", Will said.

"I am not saying that Malcolm deliberately lies to you. But maybe he hasn't any other chance. Will, the person you want him to betray – is also the person who gave him a place to stay. A place among other folding men. Malcolm may think he is devoted to Nomad in some way.", Magnus said.

Will shook his head. He couldn't believe that a person would still lie for such a bad guy.

"It's called Stockholm Syndrome, Will. Captive devoted to their captor.", Magnus explained.

"I don't … ", Will started but was interrupted by Magnus.

"Will, you have to know what's right. I just want to make sure that you are careful. Alright?", Magnus asked.

Will could hear that she had meant every word she had said – he could hear the worry edged inside.

Will nodded: "I'll talk to him right now."

Magnus just smiled at him – and he left her room – on his way to Malcolm.

He hoped he could help Malcolm see the truth.

* * *

**"D**id you find him?", Malcolm asked – he was pacing again.

Like an animal in a small cage.  
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we found Aaron at the location you gave us …", Will told him.

He could see the shock on Malcolm's face.

"No …", Malcolm said.  
"There's not much doubt about who's responsible.", Will stated.  
"He was my best friend. If I had only supported him, he'd probably still be alive. If we had all just stood up to Nomad like he wanted … his blood is on my hands as sure as if I pulled the trigger myself.", Malcolm explained.  
There it was – the doubt Will needed. The doubt he needed so Malcolm would help him. He only had to make sure that Malcolm knew he was better than Nomad.  
"But you didn't pull the trigger. You're not a murderer, Malcolm.", Will said.  
"Aren't I? How do you know what I'm capable of?", Malcolm asked.  
"You're right I don't.", Will said.  
Doubt – but not on Malcolm's face. Will had his doubts – because Malcolm was right: He didn't know what he was capable of. And that should make him nervous – but it didn't.

"I've watched him kill more than once and done nothing. I helped him beat a man to within an inch of his life and guess what, I enjoyed it. I've given over what I am, who I am, to a monster.", Malcolm said – he was getting angry, desperate.

"Your awareness, your remorse, that's what separates you from Nomad.", Will told him.

"Nomad's just an excuse. My addiction is just an excuse. I'm the monster. I'm the monster!", Malcolm was screaming now.

And his words were echoing around the whole room.

He thought he was a monster.  
"Help me get him, Malcolm.", Will pleaded.

"Look at me. I can't even get through a day without gold pumping through my veins.", Malcolm said.

Only then Will noticed that Malcolm was shivering desperately.  
"You're kicking it and if you can do it, so can other folding men.", Will said.

"I'm too weak. I'm too weak. My strength comes from the gold and from Nomad.", Malcolm said.

Crap!

"No, your strength comes from you. Malcolm, listen to me … folding men are dying, innocent people are dying. Now, you know where he is.", Will said.

"I … I can't …", Malcolm said.

"Why don't you do it for Aaron? He gave his life up for you guys. We're running out of time, Malcolm.", Will said.

He had to make him do something.  
Will could see how Malcolm fought against it – but in the end the good part seemed to be winning.

"I … I can only tell you where they used to be based. It's in an old factory. The city shut it down, toxic metals, all kinds of places to hide. No matter where Nomad moved, he always kept information there in loose floorboards, in the walls. The locations of his safe houses, the drug labs, weapons caches …", Malcolm explained.  
Where would I find these things?

"I'll … I'll give you the address, I'll, uh, draw you diagrams of it, describe it all to you.", Malcolm stuttered.  
Malcolm had to come with him. Will could see that this would be the best for him.  
"Or you could just come with me.", Will said.

"That's … That's not going to happen.", Malcolm stated.  
"Do it for Aaron.", Will said.

* * *

**H**e knew that it would have been better to tell Magnus what he was doing. So she knew. But she and Ashley were already gone. They were still searching for the place the drug was made. And when Malcolm and he were on the car he noticed that he had forgotten his cell phone.

Will looked over to a shivering Malcolm.

I will call Magnus later. I don't think I'll need my cell phone now.

With that thought in his head he drove towards the old factory.

* * *

"**Y**ou're doing the right thing. Trust me.", Will said – closing the door of his car.  
"Okay, let's go.", said Malcolm.

Malcolm climbed some stairs and went into the factory.  
They stepped into a big room – with some tables and chairs.

"Sit down!", came a voice from behind them.

No!

That wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"I'm sorry, Malcolm.", Will said.

He wasn't sure what would happen next. Several folding men appeared in the room – coming through small holes or slots.

"Don't be. I mean, I'm sure under normal circumstances, you're a very good judge of character. I'd like you all to meet Dr. Zimmerman. You'll find you have a lot in common … no backbone. Carver, get me a chair.", Malcolm said.

What? No, that can't be right. What was going on?  
"Yes, sir.", the man called Carver said – moving a chair towards Malcolm.  
"And get me my gun.", Malcolm said.  
"Right away.", Carver said – already moving with slight fear in his eyes.  
Will worried. Malcolm's whole posture had changed. From fragile, broken and being weak from withdrawal – to intimidating, aggressive and very dangerous.

Will was pushed onto a chair.

He had been so wrong!

All those things and he didn't see the truth.  
Malcolm asking him: "How do you know what I'm capable of?"  
"Nomad never would let himself get caught … unless he wanted to be. He may be crazy,buthe's also a criminal genius.", all those things. For Nomad this was hilarious – he fooled him. Had his fun with him.

Will thought about all the times Malcolm had talked about Nomad.

The bank robbery. The time he threatened Aaron.  
"You're Nomad. Carver is your pawn. They're all your pawns.", Will said.

It was that easy!

"Mind like yours, Zimmerman, too smart for the room. Over thinks everything … The easiest to, uh, manipulate.", Nomad said satisfied.  
"Can't you see what he is? He's just an addict. He's just an addict with a messianic complex. He doesn't care about any of you.", Will said to Carver and the rest.

"You still don't get it. I love my people. I'm doing this for my people. No more cowering in the shadows. I'm bringing them into the light.", Nomad said.  
"And what about anyone who gets in the way?", Will asked.  
He had to let the others see that Nomads way was the wrong one.  
"I think you know the answer to that. In a little while, I'll have my hands on enough TPG to draw recruits from all over the continent … a small army of the most powerful folding men.", Nomad said.

The fear Will had was growing rapidly.

"Whatever you do to me, they'll know, at The Sanctuary. They'll know, and they'll be all over you.", Will said.

He believed what he said. But he also knew that right now he was alone. No cell phone and no one knew where he went. Until they found him he would already be dead.

"If I know Dr. Magnus and I do, at least by reputation, she's undoubtedly already fallen for my bait. It's amazing the kind of disinformation you can plant with just a little know-how. Oh, and you'll love this, Will. The TPG, my TPG … it wasn't made locally. It's coming from Austin. I wasn't worried about the police or Mr. Jones or anyone, for that matter, except the sanctuary. I had to make sure that none of you would interfere.", Nomad explained smiling – weapon in one hand.  
This was going to end bad. No bad wasn't the right word.  
"He ordered you to kill that pawnshop owner. All it took was a look.", Will asked Carver.  
"Well, unfortunately, all these revelations … you won't be able to share them with the rest of the world.", Nomad said raising his weapon a bit.  
Think of something, Will – think!  
"And what about Aaron – going to let someone take the rap for that too?", Will asked.

Carver looked at him – really interested in him the first time.  
"What's he talking about? Is Aaron …", Carver asked.

"He's dead!", Will barked.

"Yeah, it's a terrible shame; Jones had him killed and then he stuffed his body in a washing machine.", Nomad said.

Washing machine?  
"I never said how he was found.", Will stated.  
"He was my friend.", said Carver – he raised the gun and pointed it towards Nomad.  
Nomad got up from his chair and walked towards Carver.

They would shoot at each other any moment. Will knew it.

"Put the gun down, Carver.", Nomad said.  
"Put the guns down, all of you.", a voice echoed around the room.

A voice he knew – a voice he was so happy to hear. He turned towards where the sound came from.

There she was – standing in the door frame. Her gun drawn – ready to shoot whoever made the wrong move.  
"He was just a kid!", Carver said sad.

"He was trying to undermine me. He was trying to undermine all of us. He deserved a traitor's death.", said Nomad.  
"Drop the guns. I will not ask again.", Magnus voice was like ice.

Will was sure – she wouldn't ask again.  
"You son of a bitch.", Carver yelled.  
The next thing Will knew – was that Nomad and Carver had shoot each other. Both of them collapsing on the floor.

Will was sitting on his chair. He couldn't move. The sound of the bullets had paralysed him.

He could be dead now!  
He noticed something beside him. Magnus – she was kneeling beside his chair. Looking at him with a worried expression.  
"Will …", Magnus said and put her hand onto his knee.  
"I'm sorry, I … how did you know?", Will stuttered.

How did she find me? - Will thought.  
"I had a tracking device put on your car … just in case.", Magnus explained.

Normally people weren't really happy when they were told that someone had put a tracking device onto their car. But he understood. He understood that there were situations where a tracking device was of great need. A life and death situation. Like he had gotten himself into.

Will pressed his hand against hers. He had to be sure he was safe.  
And he felt her press back – a sign she was as relieved about his safety as he was.

* * *

**"F**our to six weeks and most of our folding men can be returned to their homes; hopefully drug free.", Magnus said.

She, Will and Ashley were standing in the cell room – where they had put the folding men they had found. All of them had signs of withdrawal.  
"Look, can you just say it, please? I mean, it's the elephant in the room. I let myself get conned.", Will said.  
He was still angry at himself for being that foolish.  
"We all let ourselves get conned. Some of us just had a Plan B.", Magnus said smiling at him.

Well yes. Magnus seemed to have a plan everytime they were in trouble. But he – himself he wouldn't have been able to save himself. He would have died in that factory.  
"Yeah, well, that's the last time I play by the old rules.", he said.

Ashley was grinning back at him – not a sign that he got too often.  
"Don't be so hard on yourself. We stopped the destruction of an entire culture of Abnormals. And you got to the bottom of one of your agency's biggest mysteries.", Magnus said.

"You're right. What am I talking about? I'm a hero.", Will joked.

He didn't believe it but was sure that the others bought the ruse. It had effected him a lot. He was questioning his abilities – but he was afraid that if the said that – he wouldn't be of any use to them. And he would have to leave a place, a place that he began to like a lot.

"Actually, on a scale from zero to hero, you're more like … ", Ashley said.  
"Ashley … ", Magnus interrupted her.

Will wasn't sure how often he had already heard Magnus stop Ashley before she could say something or do something bad.  
" … Almost respectable.", Ashley said grinning.**

* * *

****  
****A**nd the second time this week Will was at the Subway station The only difference? This time he knew the mystery of the Austin Case.

Jake had just arrived  
"Just under the wire.", he said.  
Will handed Jake the folder. He hadn't talked to Magnus about what he would do. After he had been with her in the cell room – he didn't talk to her. He had walked out of the room, had gotten the folder and had been driving here.  
"Thanks again, Jake.", Will said.

He knew what he had to do. He wasn't working for the police after all.  
"Did you get what you need?", Jake asked interested.  
"Yeah. Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did.", Will said.

No. Now he worked somewhere else. And he had to make sure that this work wasn't endangered by his career with the police.  
"So … what? Are you going to try to reopen the Austin murders?", Jake asked.

Will was sorry he couldn't tell him but he was sure that it was the right thing to do.  
"No, I couldn't make any more sense of it this time 'round than I did the first.", he lied.  
"It's a shame, really.", Jake said.  
Will could see that Jake didn't believe him.  
"Yeah, well, we can't solve 'em all, huh?", Will said.  
"No, I mean you. I don't think I've ever met an agent with more raw potential.", Jake said.

Well that was a surprise.  
"I appreciate that.", Will said.  
"It's too bad you still can't seem to catch a break.", Jake said.

Well …  
"Ah, don't worry about it. Sometimes...sometimes you gotta know when to fold 'em.", Will turned around and began walking away.

Will stepped up the stairs of the station – and walked to the place he had parked his car. This time he drove without Bigfoot – no big difference. The Big Guy didn't talk a lot.

He turned the motor on and drove back to the Sanctuary – hoping that he would be able to sleep after all.

* * *

"**Y**ou know, there was this case that I worked on at the agency that never got solved but had a very similar set of circumstances.", Will said. "Austin, Texas, 2005.", Magnus said without blinking.

Will could make out Magnus closing the back doors of another van in front of that guy.

"What is this place?", Malcolm asked afraid.

"What are you afraid of?", Will straightened up and answered angrily: "You chased me, you trapped me, you put me in this... in this cage. You experimented on me."

"Nomad never would've let himself get caught unless he wanted to be. He would've turned you into a stain on the sidewalk first. Why'd you bring me here? What do you want from me?", Malcolm said.

"Someone clipped Mr. Jones wings!", Ashley said looking from Magnus to Will.

"Austin Federal, 2005.", Will said again – and this time he got a reaction.  
"That one took you down a notch, didn't it? What, did you expect me to deny it? Nomad knew more about you than you knew about him. Irony was, you came so close to breaking that case. He got a real kick out of that." Malcolm said satisfied.

"Oh, god!"All three of them were standing around the open washing machine. Inside was Aaron.

"You think he will tell you where Nomad can be found?", Magnus asked with a hint of distrust.

"I think you should be careful how much faith you put into Malcolm.", Magnus stated.

"But you didn't pull the trigger. You're not a murderer, Malcolm.", Will said.  
"Aren't I? How do you know what I'm capable of?", Malcolm asked.  
"You're right I don't.", Will said.

"I'm too weak. I'm too weak. My strength comes from the gold and from Nomad.", Malcolm said.

"Don't be. I mean, I'm sure under normal circumstances, you're a very good judge of character.", Malcolm said.

"Mind like yours, Zimmerman, too smart for the room. Over thinks everything … The easiest to, uh, manipulate.", Nomad said satisfied.

"If I know Dr. Magnus and I do, at least by reputation, she's undoubtedly already fallen for my bait.", Nomad explained smiling – weapon in one hand.

"Put the guns down, all of you.", her voice echoed around the room.

Sound of weapons firing echoing around the room.

Will sat up in shock. He looked around the dark room – hastily searching for the light switch of his bedside lamp. He found it – the room turned from black to dimly light.

It had been a dream. All had been a dream. He had dreamed about Nomad, Mr. Jones, Aaron and Magnus telling him to be careful. He was fooled – by a person he thought he could trust. A person that looked like she was breaking. But Nomad played him from the very start – and he fell for it.

He heard his heart pounding. But there was another noise as well.

Someone was softly knocking on his door.

"Will?", came her voice – ever so softly through his door.

Even so he did not want to talk to her – he couldn't send her away.

"Come in.", Will said throwing back his blanket – revealing his blue pyjama.

The door opened and Magnus slowly entered the room: "I heard some noise. It is very late. Are you alright?", Magnus asked worried.

She was still wearing the same things as he had seen her the last time today. Him rushing from the cell room to bring the folder back to Jake.

So she hadn't slept.

"Well ...", he started.

He had wanted to just say yes. That he was indeed alright.

But when he looked at her he could see that she would know if he lied. And she wanted to know the truth.

"Not really.", he said.

It wasn't that bad – to tell her the truth. Just a bit strange.

Magnus smiled a small smile.

"Care to talk about it?", she asked. She was still standing in the open door – one hand on the door knob. She was leaving it up to him – if he wanted that she entered or if she should go.

He was supposed to be there for mental problems. But who would be there for him. She showed him that she was there for him. A person he could talk to.

He had to make a decision.

"Why not.", Will said.

Magnus closed the door softly and came walking towards him. She took the chair from his table and carried it in front of Will's bed. Then she sat down – smiling at him reassuringly.

Will was still sitting in his bed and from his position he had to look up to her – like a small kid.

"What is the reason behind your insomnia?", Magnus asked – and flipped her right leg over her left.

How do I start?

"I have problems to understand my actions this week.", Will said.

He hoped she understood.

"That Nomad had been able to … ", Magnus began.

" … throw me off the scent?", Will interrupted her.

"Yes.", Magnus said.

"I mean … I can read people very well. Or at least I thought I did. And now someone fooled me so obviously … that I have to doubt my abilities.", Will said.

"Everyone makes mistakes. They exist so you are able to learn from them. So you won't do them again.", Magnus explained.

"But you … you saw it!", he said.

"No I didn't."; Magnus answered.

She didn't?

"But you told me to be careful. You told me that he may not tell the truth.", Will said.

"Under the assumption that he may suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.", Magnus answered.

"But you saw that he was keeping something to himself!", Will said.

Magnus didn't look at him – she looked at her lap. She wasn't telling him the whole story.  
Stockholm Syndrome? What did she know about that?

"Why Stockholm Syndrome?", Will asked.

Magnus head shoot up and for a second or two he could see surprise on her face – then it turned neutral again.

"I had attended a case a long time ago.", Magnus said.

"A person with Stockholm Syndrome?", Will asked.

"I had a few patients with it – but one in particular stuck with me for all those years.", Magnus answered.

Will just looked at her. Magnus was always giving him the chance to talk to her or back down. And he wanted to give that to her as well. If she wanted to talk to him about the case he would listen. But if she didn't want to then it would be okay. He didn't tell her that he was very interested in her story – but she seemed to read that in his expression.

"It was a case that the police brought to my attention. Young children were found dead over the last 5 months and they had no clue about the culprit. So a friend of mine asked for my assistance. He worked at the police and kept me updated on the progress. The children had been between 4 and 14 years old and had been orphans.", Magnus explained.

"And what did this have to do with the Sanctuary? I mean that friend of yours … he knew about your work?", Will asked.

Magnus nodded: " He had been one of the few. He had been working on a case of a murder in Dallas. It turned out that a Big Araneae – a big spider had been responsible for the murder. The police officer had been present when we had caught the Araneae. So I had no other chance than to tell him. It proofed to be helpful because trough him I had excess to a lot of classified police investigations.", Magnus said.

Oh.

"Is he still working for you?", Will asked.

"No, he isn't. Like I said – it has been a while back.", Magnus answered.

"But you have someone who gets you informations haven't you?", Will asked.

He had the feeling that she had spies or people that helped her everywhere.

"Still curious how I got into the precinct LAN of the police?", Magnus asked grinning.

She seemed to like it when he was agonizing about something.

"Well yes.", Will said.

"I have got friends at a lot of positions but sometimes I don't need any help.", she said.

What was that supposed to mean? Sometimes he just couldn't figure her out.

"The case with the orphans?", Will asked.

He wasn't sure if she had led the conversation into a different direction or if it had been him. She was that good at it.

Magnus smiled at him: "I found out that the children weren't at all human. Some of them had anomalies or deformations. And they died because of injections. To experiment with there abnormalities. So it got to my attention. Through a very good team work of the police and my team – we could find were the children were been held before they had died. We could rescue a girl but the man responsible escaped. The police tried to catch him. Well … I took the girl with me to the Sanctuary. She was scared, didn't want to talk to anybody.", Magnus said.

"What was her abnormality?", Will asked.

"Photographic memory. Quite impressive. She could memorise pictures, persons or other things quite detailed – after looking at them less than 1 sec.", Magnus said.

Impressive – Will thought.

"After a week I was able to get her to talk to me. She was clinging to me. Not trusting anyone else. Not talking to anyone else. But everything I asked her about the person who had abducted her, she … she kept defending him. She kept telling me he loved her and that he cared about her. That all the pain she had to suffer was because of his experiments that were necessary. That she was responsible for it. You know symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome are: Shame or embarrassment of what had transpired. Self-blame, you are the reason why this happened. Resignation. Defilement and a lot more. She fit right into that profile.", Magnus said making a pause.

He knew he was asking a lot from her again. He kept asking for stories of her past – but these always reminded her of her curse. Of the loss and everything. Will felt a sudden sense of guilt.

"Maya, that was her name, she lost the will to live. She was just sitting in her room at the Sanctuary letting the word pass her by. One day the police came to take her to the police station. They were still in need of information. I was meant to accompany her. So we all were on our way towards the police station. When a car blocked our way. A man came out of the car and before I could even react – Maya had climbed out of the car and ran towards that man. The officers wanted to draw their weapons. I told them not to. Maya was in the middle of all that – there was a big possibility that she would have been hit. I stepped out of the car – tried to negotiate with him. That guy he told me, that if Maya wanted to stay with me she was allowed to.", Magnus explained.

"What happened?", Will asked.

The story seemed to be hard for her to tell. And he asked himself if she had ever told the story someone else.

"He asked Maya: If she wanted to stay with me or stay with him. Well, she made her decision and he got her. So in the end we had to let the man go.", Magnus made a pause.

He could see that the story wasn't finished and from what he saw – he was sure that it wasn't a happy end.

"2 weeks later her body was found in a waste container.", Magnus said looking at Will.

"I'm sorry.", he said touching her knee softly.

"I know that sleeping sometimes seems cruel. But you have to come over such episodes of your life.", Magnus said.

Both of them just looked at each other – then both of them started so smile. Because of their unspoken understanding – it was amazing how fast their relationship grew.

She stood up from the chair and walked towards the door: "Try to sleep. If only for a few hours."

Will smiled at her.

"Thank you.", Will said.

He really was.

She just smiled at him – then opened his door.

One more question.

"Magnus?", he said.

She was almost out of his door but turned around to him.

"Yes?", she asked.

"How did you know that Ashley and I were driving to the Nepune Cannery dock?", Will asked.

He had been surprised when he had seen her there.

"Don't be ridiculous – I know what my daughter sounds like when she's lieing.", Magnus answered grinning and closed his door.

Leaving him alone again. But this time he had the feeling he could sleep. Because he knew he had people who cared about him and with whom he could talk about everything.

* * *

**The End****  
**

**Next Episode – Next chapter**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kush**

**I know it took some time for me to upload a new chapter but I had to do a lot at school recently. But I will try to write a few chapters while I got my summer holidays. :)**

**This story takes place during Kush.**

**It's from the point of view of Helen & Will.**

**Hope you enjoy it.**

**S**he stepped through the exit of a theater – John right beside her – getting into a carriage.

"I take it you're feeling much better.", she heard herself say.

"Ah, there's nothing like the attentions of a capable physician to cure the chronically ill.", John said – sitting right beside her in the small carriage. It was nice sitting so close to him.  
"You were never ill. It was simply …", she started.

"… An element of my physiology as yet undiscovered by medicine.", John interrupted her.

"Where to this evening?", the driver asked.

"A turn through Piccadilly to start, please.", she answered then turned to John.

"You've done so much for me.", he said – his eyes telling how much he cared for her.

"John, I hardly …", she began. She couldn't – she had been the one that brought him into all of this. It had been her fault. The source blood – the killings.

"Let me speak, Doctor. I've spent my entire life lost in a void, afraid of who I am … of what I am. If not for you, I fear I would have remained lost. Instead, I can now see that I am neither a freak of nature nor a devil, but a man … very much in love.", John said. She was smiling at him, grateful for such devotion.  
Then he pulled a box into her view. Opening it and holding it towards her. It contained a ring. She was speechless.

"And someone who wishes to spend the rest of his life repaying his savior for all she's done. I promise to make you happy, Helen, for all eternity …", she was happy. So utterly happy – then suddenly pain. The feeling of a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. Making it hard to breathe.

She woke up – startled. Disorientated.

It had only been a dream. A dream about her times in England 1880. A time so long ago – but a memory so clear.

Cold, a cold was surrounding her. And she could still feel the weight on her. She looked around – noticed the debris around and on her. She started pushing them away, feeling a slight sense of claustrophobia.

What the hell happened?, she asked herself.

She heard someone groan – her instinct telling her who it had been.

"Will!", she said. She wanted a response from him, so she knew where he was.  
No response.  
"Will!"  
She spotted him some feet away, also covered under debris and began to free him.

He shrugged away a bit.  
"You all right?", she asked worried.  
"Yeah. That was … That was bad.", Will said – now freed from the debris.  
Someone appeared from under some debris near Will – it was Sylvio.  
"Oh, damn!", Sylvio said.

A person with demonstrative good manners, she thought to herself and exhaled loudly.  
"Sylvio! You okay?", Will asked – she was still kneeling beside him.  
"What do you think?", Sylvio said turning around to them.

Will ignored him and turned to her. He had a small injury at his left eyebrow.

She would have to ask him later – if there were any other injuries that weren't that obvious.

"Where the hell are we?", Will asked her.

She stood up, feeling a slight surge of pain in her head. She pushed herself into a standing position and looked out the window right beside her.

It was white outside. Really white – what made her head hurt a little bit more. She couldn't see any indication where they had crashed. No city, no people – just snow, endless snow.**  
**"To be honest … no idea.", she said.

She hated snow!

**N**o one had noticed the very short expression of pain on her face. Well he had. He saw how she cringed her face with pain – when she had pushed herself up, so she could look out the window of the plane and answer his question.**  
**"To be honest … no idea.", she had said.

He really did not like that answer – Will thought.

Magnus had went over to Sylvio and was checking him for injuries. Will heaved himself up and started looking for the others.

We had been … 7 people. So 4 people …

"Allison!", Will called out to her – when he saw her under some debris.

"Oh. Oh God!", Allison stammered. She was under shock.

"Allison!", he repeated – trying to calm her down.

"Are we, are we, are we …", Allison stuttered.  
"It's okay, it's okay.", Will said.  
"That thing!", Allison said wide eyed.  
Well yes … 'Thing' was a rather good description.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Look, it's gone. It's gone, all right? Look at me. You're fine. You're fine, okay?", Will said – looking straight at her. He saw that she calmed down a bit, just then another voice sounded some feet away.  
"Yeah! That's very helpful. Tell her she's fine; even though we're totally screwed.", it was Braun.  
A pessimist at heart. On a warm and sunny day, he would most likely say: "It's so warm. My head is gluing and everybody sweats. I hate sunny days. I hate all days. I ..."

Will was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Braun groan.

"Ah!", Braun groaned again.

He turned around to him.

Braun was sitting on the floor. Magnus was right in front of him and moved towards him. She was leaning over Braun – looking at his arm.  
"Your arm!", Magnus said moving her hands towards the injured arm.  
Braun jerked away: "Don't touch me. I'll do it."**  
**Braun hit his shoulder against a crate behind him – crying out in pain a second time.

Will could see Magnus sympathetic and shocked expression. But he was sure that she would have done the same thing. Only, normally people let her help.  
"See? All better.", Braun said demonstrative.  
Magnus left him and went to the cockpit.

She will check the pilots.

Allison was still in shock. And so Will was still kneeling beside her. She was quite – didn't say a word.

After a few minutes he heard a man screaming and suppressed the urge to go to him. The right decision – because he heard Magnus voice only seconds later trying to calm the guy down.

"No, no, go away!", the man said.  
"It's all right. It's all right. You're alive.", Magnus said understandingly.  
"Did we make it?", he heard the man ask – and Allison's hand gauged into his.

"Maybe we should get up.", Will said to her – pulling her into a standing position.  
"We're down, yes; looks like your co-pilot did most of the work though.", Magnus said.

"I was in the washroom when it happened. I heard screams.", the man said totally frantic.  
"Don't move. Your leg is broken. I'll tend to it in a moment.", he heard Magnus say.  
"What are you doing?", the man asked.

"Getting us out of here.", she said – a pause.  
"I can't get a signal.", Magnus said – then her voice was gone.

And Will was sure that if she did not return in a couple of minutes, he would get her himself. What a damn idea, going out into a storm like that.

Will started to count the seconds in his head.

"**G**etting us out of here.", she had said – trying to get a signal.

But the plane or whatever was shielding it – wherever she held the satellite phone.  
"I can't get a signal.", Magnus said and exited the plane.  
The first thing she felt was a damn cold wind sweeping around her – raising snow.

She could not see clearly but tipped the number of the Sanctuary into the phone.  
"Mom? Thank God.", Ashley said fiercely.

"Ashley. I'm fine. We lost the pilot, but the rest of us are okay.", she had to scream into the phone because of the noise the wind and snow were making around her.

She closed her jacked a little more tightly around her.

"We know. We've been tracking you the entire time. What happened?", Ashley asked. The signal was bad and Helen had to hurry. She wasn't sure how long the connection would hold until it broke down.  
"I'll give you the details later! We have some wounded who need immediate medical attention!", she basically yelled into the phone.  
"OK. We got you. Sat tracking has the crash site located in the central Hindu Kush. We already have a rescue team mobilizing out of Islamabad. ETA should be about five hours.", Ashley said.

Okay, at least I know where we are right now. The central Hindu Kush.

"Good work! I'll see you when I get home!", she said.  
"Mom … It's really good to hear your voice.", Ashley said.

"It's good to hear yours, too, Ashley.", Helen said and cut the connection.

She turned around, opened the door and got back inside the plane. It wasn't that warm – but outside it had been freezing. **  
**"I have good news. A rescue team will be here in about five hours.", she said looking at everybody.

Will was looking relieved at her. But she had the slight feeling she had interrupted him during something.

"In the meantime, we'll assess your injuries and try to keep you all as warm as possible, and if the Gods are smiling, I'll find some tea and make us all a pot.", she said trying to lighten the mood.

She knew the most difficult thing in such a situation was the constitution of the people involved. Tense situations could arise and threaten their need to work together – she had seen it before.  
"See? You'll be back in New Delhi by breakfast.", Will said encouragingly.  
"I should've guessed this would be no match for the great Helen Magnus.", Allison said smiling slightly.  
"Exactly, never doubt the boss.", Will said grinning.

Thank god, she had Will with her.  
"Magnus! Will …", Sylvio said behind her.

He was motioning for them to follow him into the back of the plane.

What now?

They followed him to the place were the cage had been placed. The cage was damaged – the door open. The plane was also damaged and snow kept blowing in.  
"This is definitely after the punch line.", Sylvio said.  
"You think it survived the crash?", Will asked looking around.**  
**"We did.", she said.  
"I'm still getting paid, right? I mean I did fulfill the contract to find and capture one bad-ass snow creature. I mean what happens after that …", Sylvio started.

It is a pleasure working with you too.  
"Give it a rest, all right?", Will said interrupting him.

We have to block the cold from getting in. These temperatures are extreme.

"Start securing the plane. Do what you can to block out the cold. Five hours is a long time to be exposed to these temperatures.", she ordered.  
"I'll see what I can dig up.", Sylvio said reluctantly and left them – going into the forward section of the plane. Or better – what was left of the plane.  
"I know you wanted this one badly.", Will said, closing his jacket.  
Well … **  
"**Not like this. Well at least we know why no one's captured one before. They're a hardy breed.", she said.

"Yeah and here we are, stuck on its turf. I'm not sure I like not knowing whether that thing is alive or dead.", Will said.

It could still be here …

She heard a noise coming directly from behind her and her instinct kicked in. She turned around – her weapon drawn straight at the point from were the noise had come from. Will moved towards the pile of debris lifting some of them. A man appeared crouched under the pile.

Dear god.

He was clearly terrified. He started to speak in some strange dialect of Tibetan. She dropped her weapon trying to calm him down.  
"Can you understand him?", Will asked her.

Well not really.  
"It's a dialect of Tibetan.", she said thinking about where she had seen the man before.  
"Wasn't he one of the Sherpa on the expedition?", Will asked.

Yes.  
"Yes, he must have stowed away on the flight.", she answered.  
"Bad move.", Will said.  
She knelt next to the man. Will kept on standing next to her.

His hand was severely injured – she would have to attend to him later.  
"Your name is Tashi, right?", she said – as calmly and friendly as possible.  
Tashi nodded.  
"Can you stand?", she asked him – and both of them slowly stood up.**  
"**It's all right. You're safe. The thing is gone. Let me see your hand.", she said reassuringly and reached out for his hand.

She heard raised voices coming from the other section of the plane – and sighted inwardly.

"Look after him.", she said to Will. Then she went to the argument which was going on.

When she stepped into the section she could see that Braun was directly in Sylvio's face.

Oh, well.  
"I think you are! I mean, we have a right to an explanation! What the hell was that thing? How did it get in this plane, man?", Braun yelled at him.  
"It was our cargo. A rare species of snow leopard captured in Tajikistan, north of Dushanbe.", she said before the situation could escalate between those two.

It had been a lie. But she had quite the speed when she had to think of excuses. She had to be – or the Sanctuary would be in almost constant trouble.  
"Never heard of a snow leopard attacking a group of people before.", Strickland said.  
"It was a rare offshoot of the species.", she answered.  
"Its designation is Cryptid Bipedis Himalaya.", Allison said – her teeth chattering from the cold.

Good. At least one person was indeed working with her right now.  
"You expect us to believe that that was a leopard? That was four times the size of any cat.", Braun said angrily.  
"Whatever it was, it brought the plane down. Who are you people?", Strickland asked.  
Oh, so much for tactics and excuses, she thought.  
"We're with a private research foundation.", said Will who had joined them with Tashi in tow.  
"The creature we brought back was unique, and I deeply regret what happened. Our intention was to transport it to our facility in New Delhi run by Dr. Grant here. I have many such Sanctuaries around the world. New Delhi was the closest, and with such dangerous cargo …", she explained but was interrupted.**  
"**Yeah, well, hooray for you and your safety protocols, because they worked like a charm, right?", Braun asked.

Well hooray – a positively thinking person. What had she done to the world – that she had the luck of stranding with such people more often these days?

Oh, her head hurt.  
It was Will who saved her from Braun: "We didn't mean for this to happen. We took every precaution possible."  
"Really? 'Cause he's dead! We're stranded here, and your cargo gone. Or is it?", Braun asked aggressively.  
That was a good question she was unable to answer at the moment.

"We don't know.", she said.

"What does that mean?", Strickland asked frightened.  
"That means we could be attacked at any time …", Braun said.  
"That is extremely unlikely. These creatures are incredibly shy and used to their natural habitat. If it did survive, it would have sought refuge higher up the mountain.", she said.  
"Shy? That creature, whatever the hell it was, almost killed every one of us! And who the hell is he?", Braun asked pointing at Tashi.

That man could really strain her nerves – and she was used a lot. But her headache was making her even more frustrated with Braun.  
"A stowaway; a Sherpa who helped us capture the creature.", Will said wrapping a gauze bandage around Tashis hand.  
"Oh really? Well, good for you! How about you go out there and do it again! This time make sure it's dead!", Braun yelled again.  
"Hey! You obviously have a problem knowing when to shut up, man.", Sylvio yelled back.  
Tashi started to speak in his foreign language again.  
"He wanted to come back with us. He has family in Peshawar he hasn't seen in years.", Allison translated.  
"Why not just ask for a lift?", she asked.  
After Allison had asked Tashi the question she turned back to her.  
"He was afraid that you would refuse him and he's very sorry that he deceived you, and he asks for your forgiveness.", Allison explained.  
"Well, you certainly picked the wrong flight. Alright even though rescue will be here soon, we still need to keep warm. It will help us with the shock of what we've just endured. Everyone, find some tools and help seal up the plane.", she ordered.  
"Yes, ma'am.", Braun said defiantly.

She rolled her eyes at him. He would doubtlessly make problems.  
Then she started to help the others seal up the plane. She hoped Ashley and the others would be there soon.

**"A**ll right, that outta do it.", he said after he had sealed of another crack in the plane.

All of them had been busy with sealing of the plane for more than 30 minutes now.  
"Well we're not much better off in here.", Braun said.  
"This is for a few days, until the storm passes.", he said.  
"Kid, I've been fixing planes up here for 15 years. Winter storms in this part of the world are not like the winter storms in your part of the world. They can last a few weeks before they roll out.", Braun explained.

Will could see the shocked expression on Sylvios face. Well his own face wasn't looking any better – he guessed. Weeks?

"A few weeks?", Sylvio asked shocked.  
"Do you know what Hindu Kush means? "Slayer of Hindus"; so named by the locals here because they believe that the weather and the mountains were created by God for the sole purpose of killing people. Fun place for a plane crash, huh?", Braun explained.

Oh, great.

He left Sylvio and Braun and moved towards the forward section.

He saw Magnus sitting on the floor – checking Tashis wound.

Their gazes met and she nodded at him. She was starting to stand up – when he saw her stopped by Strickland's words. Words he couldn't make out from his position.  
Will continued walking.

Heating up some water, would be a good idea.  
The water started to boil after a few minutes and he poured the hot liquid into two mugs.

Oh, please. Let it be a good cup of coffee.  
Just then Magnus stepped into the section peeling of her gloves.  
„Oh, please tell me that that is tea.", Magnus said looking expectantly at the mug he was holding towards her.  
„Gods are on vacation. It's coffee. Here.", he said – passing it over to her.

But Magnus held her hand high and said : „Pass!"

What? Hey it's warm.  
„Come on, it'll help you keep warm.", he said trying to convince her.  
„I have standards, Will. Drinking coffee? Well below them.", she said smiling at him.  
Okay.  
„Man, you are a Brit to the core, aren't you?", he asked.  
„And proud of it.", Magnus said – still leaning against the door frame.  
„So, I've taken stock of things. We don't have a lot of food left, maybe a day or so, and the heater fuel is not going to last much longer either.", he said.

That would really be a problem – with the storm outside.

From the expression on Magnus face she was thinking the same thing.  
„All right, we'll ration everything very carefully. This could be home for a long while.", Magnus said – a serious expression now written all over her face and her posture.  
„Yeah, well you never know. This place, a little redecorating … Probably still feel like a doomed hellhole.", he said jokingly.

And it had the desired effect.  
„Is that your way of saying any port in the storm?", Magnus asked smiling again.

Uuuuuuggh …  
„No, it's my way of coping with the fact that this is the world's worst cup of coffee.", he said coughing.  
„Rule Britannia.", Magnus said grinning at him.

Well at least her mood is up again. God, is this coffee terrible.

Will made a face – looking into his coffee cup. Was he hallucinating or did she stand there laughing at him?

"What's so funny?", Will asked.

She sobered up again and looked at him with a mischievous grin.

"You should have seen your face, Young William", she said.

He looked at his cup of coffee than up at her a second time.

Was she mocking him – again?

"You know – at least I get coffee here!", he said – straining the here.

Magnus just raised one delicate eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. Her right cheek was bruised and she had a scratch along her eyebrow. He put the cup back on the counter – leaning against it.

"Well, I haven't found the coffee-plantation just yet. Such a big place your living.", he said grinning.

Magnus grinned back. Then she turned around to go back to the others – who had started an argument again. Before she was gone completely, she turned back to him saying: "Maybe one day – I'll show you where the coffee-plantation is based."

And then she was gone.

Damn, that woman had to have the last word every darn time.

"**M**aybe one day – I'll show you where the coffee-plantation is based.", she had told him grinning.

And before he had a chance to answer she went to her two squabblers. She couldn't make out what they were arguing about again.

„Please, gentlemen. Let's try to sleep! Should we?", she said looking at each one of them.

Tashi and Allison settled into two seats – that had remained mostly undamaged. Sylvio took a place on the floor. Strickland – who still lay on the floor – just kept his position.

„I found a heat blower.", Will said behind her – holding the said thing in his hand.

"Place it here.", she said motioning right beside Strickland.

So it was standing right in the door to the other section with the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah. So he gets all the heat, and we'll freeze to death.", right she had totally forgotten about Braun.

"Hey dude, the cord isn't any longer.", Will said angrily.

Braun kept swearing under his breath, but settled into a chair himself.

Will placed the heater on the floor beside Strickland, smiling at her.

"You should rest here!", she said to him pointing at the other side of the heat blower.

Will looked at it, then turned to her.

"No, I'll take one of the seats right behind. You'll take it.", Will said.

She looked at him questionably.

Had he really turned down a warm place – so she could sleep there?

"Had never been comfortable sleeping on the floor.", he said triumphantly.

She smiled at him gratefully and settled into the blanket on the floor. She could hear Will place himself onto the seat right behind her.

When they would make it out of her, she would have to make that up to him somehow, she thought and closed her eyes.

"**H**ey dude, the cord isn't any longer.", Will said angrily.

That Braun was such an …

God, if he hadn't been in the company of Magnus – he may had already yelled at that man.

He placed the heater on the floor right beside Strickland.

Will felt Magnus watching him and looked up at her smiling.

"You should rest here!", Magnus said pointing at the other side of the heat blower.

He looked at the blanket on the floor then back up at her.

Will had watched her – and he had noticed that she was freezing. She was better at hiding it, than the others. But still, she was freezing. And her injury wasn't helping either.

"No, I'll take one of the seats right behind. You'll take it.", he said.

Magnus looked at him first surprised then questioning.

She must be asking herself why he turned down a warm place, so she would be able to sleep there. Well, he did.

"Had never been comfortable sleeping on the floor.", he said triumphantly, knowing he had won this time.

Magnus face broke into a grateful smile. How she could fascinate him with such a simple gesture.

Well, it was worth sleeping at a cooler place, he thought smiling.

So he placed himself onto the seat right behind her, hoping he would be able to sleep.

Hell, why had that damn creature brought down the plane? And where the hell had it gone to? He really hoped it had gone, Will thought closing his eyes.

**S**he had opened her eyes – feeling a sense of being watched. And right there he was standing. Right there in the hatchway. John, with his charming smile on his lips.  
"My love.", he said.

She could heard the words – but somehow they were sounding off. Different. Wait she was in a crashed plane, John couldn't possibly be here.

A sudden flash of panic struck her – sending her eyes wide open – right awake.  
"No!", she mumbled to herself looking at the empty hatchway and at Strickland.

There was something beside him. It was shimmering slightly.

What the hell?

She placed herself into a sitting position and grabbed her flashlight – switching it on.

Blood – the shimmering thing was blood. Blood surrounding Strickland.  
She had to wake the others.

"**W**ill!"

Had someone said anything. He was so sleepy.

"Will!"

Who the hell kept on banging into his wonderful relaxing sleep.

"Will!"

"Mom?", he said. Had he just seen his mother?

"Will!"

The voice it wasn't his mother. It was … Magnus.

He was suddenly wide awake. When she was waking him up – there had to be a good reason.

Will was looking straight at her. She looked worried. What had happened?

He looked around – the others were still sleeping.

"Will, I need you to get up. Wake the others.", she said already turning away.

He grabbed her hand.

"What happened, Magnus?", he asked worried.

She exhaled then looked at him: "Strickland is dead."

What? How? Who?

He let go of her hand, vacating his sleeping spot.

"Alright I'll wake the others.", he said.

He went over to Allison.

I just tell her that she should wake everybody up. I should go to Magnus.

"Hey, Allison. Could you wake up everyone, please.", he said.

Allison nodded sleepy but moved to Sylvio right away.

Will walked over to Magnus – who knelt next to Strickland. A pool of blood was surrounding him.

Magnus took Stricklands right arm and looked at it. He had a deep cross-length laceration. Why did he kill himself?

"Magnus, what's happening?", Allison asked from behind them.  
"The co-pilot appears to have committed suicide.", Magnus said, still looking at Strickland's wrist.  
"This is crazy. Why would he do that?", Braun asked.  
"Just give us some space.", Magnus said.  
"Come on.", Allison said leaving them alone.  
"Yeah.", Braun said following her.  
"Looks like he used a broken piece of glass; why would he just give up like this? Yeah, I know the rescue is delayed, but still.", he said.

He just didn't understand why he would have committed suicide. Strickland didn't show any signs. Or did he just not notice any?  
Magnus pulled a bottle of alcohol from Strickland's pocket.  
"Hardly in keeping with aviation regulations, plus he abandoned his post when the creature attacked. Who knows what other skeletons he had in his closet?", Magnus said absently.  
He looked at her and felt a sudden surge of sympathy. How many times had she seen something like this before?  
"What if it wasn't a suicide?", he asked.  
"No sign of a struggle. No screams, cries for help, any of which would have woken us up.", Magnus said.  
Yes, and she had slept right beside him. And he hadn't been that far away himself.  
"Unless he knew his attacker. You said Strickland felt people were angry at him for not helping fly the plane when the creature attacked. What if he was right?", he asked.

Magnus looked at him disbelievingly: "Mad enough to kill, with all of us here and absolutely no place to hide; a bit of a stretch."  
"Sorry, but you pay me for my outlandish theories.", he joked.

**A**fter Allison and he had carried Strickland's body away – so it wouldn't be present the whole time – everyone had gone back to sleep.

He heard a voice calling for him. A woman.  
"Will, stay where your are.", she said.  
"No ...", he heard himself say.  
"Just stay put.", she told him. He knew that voice – his mother.  
"Mom?", he asked frightened.

He saw her move through the doorway – with flesh wounds on her whole face. Blood dripping from her cheek.  
"Will... I'll be right back.", his mother said.  
He looked at her – when he felt like being jolted by something.

His eyes opened, and he saw Magnus kneeling next to him. So she had been the one shaking him awake – again.

Will could hear raised voices in the background.  
"Come on. It's getting ugly.", Magnus said standing up.

It sounded like Braun and Sylvio.  
"What the hell was that thing?", Braun asked  
"…To take us all out in our sleep?", Sylvio yelled at Braun.  
"You tell me.", Braun answered.  
Will followed Magnus to the back of the plane, where Braun and Sylvio were in a deep conversation. Braun was pressed against the wall, Sylvio holding him there with his arm against Brauns throat.  
"What's going on here?", Magnus asked.  
"Seems Tashi caught Mr. Sneaky mechanic here trying to steal some of our hardware; one of my best sellers.", Sylvio said angry.  
With his free hand Sylvio handed Magnus a gun. She took it and examined it carefully.  
"Gonna shoot a weapons dealer with his own gun? You can see how the irony is lost on me!", Sylvio said.  
"It was for protection, all right? You don't think I see that you're all packing weapons? I'm just trying to level the playing field here people.", Braun shoot back.  
"It's not even loaded. Sylvio let him go. Mr. Braun, these cases are our property, and I'll thank you to remember that even under these trying circumstances, and the weapons we carry are for everyone's protection.", Magnus told Braun calmly while Sylvio slowly let go of Braun.  
"Then give me a gun.", Braun ordered.  
Will that guy ever give up?  
"That is definitely not happening.", he said irritated.  
"So I'm supposed to sit here and let one of you kill me in my sleep? No, I don't think so. I'm not going down without a fight.", Braun said moving around.  
Behind him Tashi started to speak something.  
"Someone shut him up?", Braun shoot at Tashi, taking a step towards him.

"Or I could start with you. Everyone, get some sleep.", Magnus ordered, looking a Braun in particular.  
He saw everybody move slowly to the other part of the cabin and decided that he would also retreat to a relaxing sleep again.

**A** hand brushing away a strand of her hair woke her up. There he was again. The man she fell in love with over a century ago.

"John?", she asked the blurry image right in front of her.  
"I promise to make you happy, Helen, for all eternity.", John said leaning into her.  
No, this wasn't right. Something wasn't right.  
"No.", she said and this time she woke up. She looked around then picked up her gun right beside her and placed it onto her lap. It was only seconds before exhaustion and the throbbing in her head took her and she fell asleep once more.

**T**his time it was Will who woke her up. She looked at him sleepy.

"It happened again.", Will said worried.

She put her gun down and started to stand up. She could feel Wills eyes on her gun and then on her.

She smiled at him reassuringly moving to Braun, Tashi and Allison who circled something on the floor. Sylvio, she noticed.

She knelt down over Sylvio's body trying to define his injuries.  
"We've lost a valuable member of our team.", she said.

And she meant it. Sylvio may had been difficult but that didn't mean she did not respect his expertise.  
"Severe abdominal laceration and he had to have been killed here. There'd be a mess if he were moved afterward.", Will said – he had knelt down beside her.

Right, abdominal laceration but no defensive wounds. That was odd.  
"There are no other injuries of any kind. No defensive wounds.", she said.  
"No, it's like he just let somebody stab him.", Will said.  
Exactly. What could do that to them? What would be able to get that close to them, kill them and not alarm anyone? Or leaving any traces for that matter?  
"What is wrong with you people? We know who killed him. I mean, come on, look!", Braun said pointing at Tashi.

What now?

"Look. Look! No! Look!", Braun said moving after a retreating and clearly frightened Tashi.  
Will stood up and stopped Braun before he could reach Tashi.

"Mr. Braun.", she said strained.

This was exactly what she had feared. People turning against each other making it even harder to stay save.  
"Calm down.", Will spat at Braun.  
"He did it, and I can prove it.", Braun said pointing at Tashi again.  
Oh really. She wanted to roll her eyes – but her head hurt to much so she settled for a glare into Brauns direction.  
"Really? How?", she asked. **  
**"Around his neck, look. I've seen other Sherpas with that, the ones that believe that the yeti is some kind of god.", Braun explained.  
"The Order of Pangboche, a group of Tibetan mystics who worship the creature as a protector of the mountains.", she clarified.

"So now we know who let the damn thing loose in the first place. What more reason would he need to kill us all? We tried to steal his people's damn sacred cow.", Braun yelled.**  
**Seriously?

Tashi started to speak rapidly.  
"Hold on. What is he saying?", Will said turning towards Allison.  
"He says the medallion was a gift from his cousin, that he doesn't worship the creature, and why would he help to capture something only to free it again?", Allison translated.

Well a rather good question, she thought.  
"Revenge, to teach us a lesson so we don't try and hunt it again ...", Braun said.  
"Hold on, hold on. Now, Tashi claims that he's not part of this Pangboche Order, correct? And, I'm sorry, but having a medallion is hardly proof of intent to kill.", Will said.  
"Will's right. We can't condemn a man because of his beliefs. Leave him alone.", she said.  
"Oh, I get it.", Braun said – looking at them, taking a step back.  
What now?

"Braun ...", Will started but was interrupted.  
"I get it. You had Sherpa boy kill Strickland, and then you had him murder the weapons guy. Why, because you owed him money? So you take me out, and there you go, no more witnesses to your little massacre. Wow.", Braun rambled.  
"You're being completely irrational. There are still far too many unanswered questions.", she said.  
"No, no, no, see, I will not go quietly. No, no. Go ahead and try, but I'll fight you. Gees, you're nuts.", Braun yelled and disappeared into another section of the plane.  
"I'll go keep an eye on him.", Allison said.  
A good idea. She wasn't quite sure what Braun was capable of. Keeping a close eye on him was the best thing for everybody at the moment.

She had to talk with Will alone. Strange things were going on here. And not just the killings.

"Take Tashi with you.", she said to Allison. Who lead Tashi out of the room with her.

"All right, what the hell...what the hell is going on around here? Why would somebody go on a killing spree in a stranded plane?", Will asked her.  
"They wouldn't. Come here.", she said.  
She lead him to the back of the plane, where they had put Strickland after his supposed suicide.  
"I need to ask you something, and it may sound strange.", she said.  
"Oh believe me; I'm getting very used to strange.", Will said grinning.  
You haven't even seen the beginning of really strange, William.  
"Have you had any dreams, hallucinations; incredibly vivid, too real to ignore?", she asked.

Even to her own ears it sounded strange. But his eyes showed that he understood what she was talking about.  
"People who couldn't possibly be there …", Will continued.  
"…And yet you can feel their presence, yes.", she ended.

So she had not been the only one. That was kind of reassuring – but the same time alarming.  
"It's tricks of the mind; post-traumatic stress, plus the elevation and exhaustion.", Will said. Even though she could see that he wasn't believing himself.  
"I thought so too at first, but now I'm beginning to have my doubts.", she said.  
Well, first she had thought that she may had hit her head harder than she thought, and she was just hallucinating about her time with John. But the dreams weren't just memories, they seemed real when she was in them. And that was a rather unsettling fact.  
"Why do you say that?", Will asked.

"**W**hy do you say that?", he had asked.**  
**Magnus moved towards the body bag which contained Strickland. She started to zip it open, enough to expose his wrist.  
"Describe his wounds.", Magnus told him.  
What? Okay, well ...  
"Ah, a deep cross-length laceration.", he said looking up at her.

She looked at him sceptically. He had the feeling he had done something wrong, the way she looked at him.

"Interesting, I see a diagonal laceration from palm to forearm.", Magnus said indicating what she was seeing, pointing at Strickland's lifeless arm.  
What?  
"What? Well, how is that possible? One of us has to be right.", he said confused.  
"Or we're both wrong. Something is affecting our minds, clouding our judgment.", Magnus said.  
"What do you mean, like mind control? But there's nobody on this plane who could ... The creature ... You think it's among us?", he asked shocked.  
"And hiding in plain sight using this telepathic power to conceal itself.", Magnus explained nodding. **  
**Conceal, how?  
"What, by making itself invisible?", he asked.

Just the thought that that thing could be anywhere – and they didn't even see it – made him nervous.  
"Or by posing as one of us, it can make us see things that aren't even real.", Magnus said.

Oh, great. Another wonderful alternative.  
"But why would it hang around? I mean this is its terrain.", he asked.  
"Well maybe it marked this as its hunting ground. It sees us as a threat. Abnormals aren't like humans. They don't play by the same rules that we understand. But clearly it's having an effect on us. We can't trust anything that we see or hear or even feel.", Magnus said looking absently over his shoulder.  
"But there's got to be some way of knowing who we can trust. Wait. 'A hardy breed ...' If its natural habitat is sub-arctic temperatures, then it would have to have a pretty special physiology, right? Even for an abnormal.", he said.

Magnus looked at him. First her expression was thoughtful then she began grinning at him.

"I knew I did not just hire you for your outlandish theories.", she said grinning and walked out of the room.

He smiled at that and followed her.

He was starting to like her and her humor more and more.

**A**llison gave her the last container of blood she needed.

"How will this show us anything? We don't have any equipment. We can't do a proper analysis.", Allison asked.

Right, but luck was on their side this time, and they had everything they needed right here.  
"On the contrary, we have exactly what we need. This creature thrives in high altitudes and extremely low temperatures. It would have to have some sort of protective protein or antibody in its blood; otherwise it would never be able to survive the harsh conditions. Now, normal blood will freeze in temperatures this low in minutes. My thought is that the creature's won't.", she explained.

William, your brilliant.  
"How can one of us be ...?", Allison started scared.  
"It's just a theory, Allison, hopefully one we can rule out.", she said trying to reassure her.

She arranged the containers on the tray. Then took the whole thing and walked towards the exit of the plane. She opened the door and put the tray down – hurrying back inside the plane, closing the door.  
"All right, 10 minutes should be enough time.", she said snuggling into her jacket.  
"I'm sorry. This situation is just ... I'm trying to stay calm.", Allison said standing opposite from her.  
"We all are. Believe me; I've been in far worse situations than this.", she said.

She wasn't lieing really.  
"You have?", Allison asked.  
Time to cheer her up a bit.  
"Absolutely, there was a town of zombies in Uganda, and of course I ran out of ammunition just as night fell. A deep sea capsule I was in was trapped underneath a gigantic mutated squid, and there was an escaped lunatic who was able to turn himself into a giant ape.", she said.  
"Thanks. You just made all that up, didn't you?", Allison asked smiling.  
"Only two of them; my point is, you just have to keep trying, no matter what and that's how we'll stay alive.", she answered smiling.

Well, being trapped in a capsule for 4 days wasn't that bad. Neither was that James had been with her. But the squid attacking the capsule and smashing it against a stonewall resulting in a few damaged walls. And that had been a real problem. They ended up taking as much as possible of the ride with their damaged container. The surface had to be reached by swimming the rest – with resulted in hypothermia and DCS.

Not one of her fondest memories.

"So what if your little test doesn't work? What then?", Braun asked him.  
Will groaned.  
"We'll try something else.", he said.  
"Well, hurray, Mr. Positive.", Braun said sarcastically.  
"Braun, do me a favor, all right? Just drop this whole 'I'm angry at the world' routine, because it's getting very old.", he said.

He wasn't so sure how long he would survive being with Braun in one room.  
"What are you, some kind of a shrink now?", Braun asked.  
He had to laugh at that. He hit the nail on the head.  
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I am.", he said suppressing a grin.  
"So what? Have you been psychoanalyzing me the whole time? What's your prognosis, Doc; angry at my mommy? Didn't get enough toys as a kid ...", Braun said mockingly.  
"You're afraid, and there's a lot of that going around, so it doesn't make you so special.", he said.  
"No, but it does make me human.", Braun answered looking straight at Will.  
He heard the door of the plane open and close again, so the experiment was finished. He went over to Magnus who began scratching away the ice that was masking the names that were written on the containers filled with blood.  
She picked every container up and shook them, to see which content wasn't frozen. Will followed her movements.

There is was, the blood wasn't frozen. Magnus turned the container around to read the name on it.

Braun! It was Braun.

Will wasn't sure if that was good news or not.  
"Braun.", he said aloud.  
"I see the same thing.", Magnus said looking at him.

He nodded, and Magnus drew her gun moving towards Braun.  
"No. No. No.", Braun stammered moving backwards.  
"Just stay calm.", he said.  
"It isn't me. It isn't me ...", said Braun.  
"Just calm down.", he tried again.  
"I'm not the creature.", Braun said looking at them afraid.  
Magnus moved to a door opening it. It was a larger safe.  
"Just until the rescue arrives.", Magnus said pointing at the open safe.  
"No you don't have to do this. I'm not a monster, all right? I've been seeing things, yes, okay? I've been seeing things that I can't explain. But that does not make me a monster. Please!", Braun explained.  
"This is for your own safety as well as ours.", he said leading Braun towards the safe.

He could see the fear in Brauns eyes and he did not like the idea of putting him into that safe. But what other choice did they have?  
"No, no, no.", said Braun starting to go backwards into the safe.  
"Mr. Braun, please, we really have no choice.", Magnus said still pointing the gun at Braun.  
"I can't do small spaces. Please. Please ... Please.", Braun was begging – now completely inside the safe.  
Allison gave Braun a flashlight, then Will closed the door. Locking it.  
"Oh no,no,no,no. No! No! Don't! Please, don't. Please ... I'm not the monster. Please, I'm not the monster, please!", Braun was still begging for them to let him out.

Magnus dropped her gun and he could sense that she wasn't happy about their decision either.  
"I'm not good in ... I'm not good in small spaces. Oh, please ... I'm human. I'm human like you. Please. Oh, please, help. I'm not a monster.", he heard Braun say.

**S**he heard a scream from the other room and was awake in a matter of seconds. As were the others.

"Oh, my God!", Allison said.  
She looked around: Next to the door there was Tashi who looked frightened. And the safe – the door to the safe was open and she could see Braun lying dead on the floor.

How could that happen?  
"Did he see anything?", she asked Allison pointing at Tashi.  
Tashi said something in Tibetan.

"No, he says he felt like something overcame him and made him feel like he was in a dream, even though he swears he was awake the whole time.", Allison answered.

"But he was right in front of the compartment. Did he hear anything? Did Braun call for help?", Will asked.  
Tashi was starting to talk again.  
"He was back in his village. He was at a celebration. He was dancing at his wedding with his wife. And then he felt like he was possessed by something evil.", Allison translated.  
"All right, Tashi, come with us.", she said leading him out of that part of the plane.  
How was this even possible? Something's not right.

She went to the tray and put it outside again. She looked at her watch. A few minutes passed.

Okay, done.

She opened the door and pulled the tray back into the plane and carried it back to Braun.

"Just to clarify, you're not seeing a monster, right?", Will asked still kneeling beside Braun.

"Are you?", she asked kneeling beside him.  
"I wish I was. How does the guy we id as the creature turn out to be its next victim?", Will asked confused.  
"Because he's human; I've just run the test again.", she answered and held the container with Brauns blood up for Will to see.

Will was looking at it surprised. Then he looked at her.  
"But we both saw it before. It wasn't frozen.", he said.

I know.  
"We saw what the creature wanted us to see, in order to throw us off the scent. I should have anticipated something like this. The legends about the creature; some call it a skinwalker. Others say it eats your soul. Add the fact no one's ever caught one before and I should have realized the initial capture went down too easily.", she said.

She had endangered the whole team. And it had already cost the life of 4 people.  
"Tashi said that he was at his wedding, dancing with his wife. With each kill, it's like we enter this vivid dream-like state that distracts us from the events.", Will said.  
"It knows exactly what to show us in order to completely divert our focus.", she said.

Like the love of your life promising you to make you happy.  
"But why, why is it just hanging around, picking us off one by one?", Will asked. **  
**It is not what it seems! That's it.  
"Perhaps it has no choice.", she said.  
"It has to be here to survive, too.", Will said noticing what she meant.

**T**hey walked to where the creature's cage was. It looked rather damaged, he thought.  
"What do you see?", Magnus asked touching the metal of the cage.  
Okay.

"Ah, I see a door off its hinges.", he answered.  
"Touch it.", Magnus ordered.  
He touched the door and found a small hole in it.  
"Now, try to see what's really there.", Magnus said.  
"I see a lock.", he said turning to her. She wasn't even looking at him.  
"I don't.", she said.  
He tried to concentrate, so he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. When he opened them again everything was looking different.  
"There's no lock. There's no damage. The door was open the entire time.", he said surprised.  
She's good.  
"The less we use our eyes ...", Magnus started not ending her sentence.  
"The more we see. Okay, okay, so, what are we not looking for, then?", he asked.  
"There.", Magnus said pointing at rills on the wall inside the cage.  
"These couldn't have been made by the creature we believe we saw. It barely had enough room to move in, and its claws were four times this size.", she said while running her free hand over the rills while the other one held the flashlight.  
"And don't cold weather mammals molt under stress?", he asked.  
"There's no sign of any fur in here.", Magnus said pointing her flashlight at the floor of the cage.  
"So there never was a 400-pound yeti.", he said.  
"No. These scratches were made by something much smaller, almost human sized. It just made us think we were dealing with something far more intimidating, likely whatever our subconscious dictated it would be.", Magnus explained.  
Great! Small but wicked.  
"Okay, so if what we saw before was just a Jedi mind trick, what the hell does this damn thing look like?", he wondered.  
"I have no idea, but it's a good bet that it's as vulnerable to the cold as we are, hence its need to blend in among us in order to survive.", Magnus said turning towards him.  
He was worried. How could he be sure.  
"Magnus ... how do I know that ...", he started but did not know how to phrase his question really.  
"I'm me?", Magnus asked.  
"Yeah.", he nodded.  
"You don't. Nor am I certain that you're you. The creature could be any one of us.", Magnus said looking him straight in the eye.

There has to be a way of telling if it's a ruse ...  
"I keep thinking there must be some way of telling, you know; a way of knowing if the person's really them.", he said.

"For the moment we'll just have to rely on the little things.", Magnus explained.  
"Like the fact that the real you wouldn't insult me by giving me false hope.", he said smiling.  
"Or the fact you keep offering me that horrible brown sludge to drink.", Magnus grinned.

"You know, that thing's never attacked two of us at once, which means it's only powerful enough to handle one of us at a time.", he said.  
"So alone, we're vulnerable.", Magnus said nodding.  
"We stay close, we live.", he said.

After all of them had agreed to stay close – his place was sitting across from Tashi and Allison and next to Magnus. He tried to stifle a yawn but Magnus seamed to have noticed.

"I'll take first watch.", Magnus said looking especially at him.  
Why does she have to see everything? Damn her.  
"All right, this is the last gas canister. It's going to get cold tonight.", he said putting down the canister and sitting beside Magnus – who had her gun next to her.  
He fell asleep only moments later.

He was dreaming of a nice warm beach and a tequila sunrise in his hand when he felt someone shaking him lightly.

"Will?", Magnus voice asked.

"Mmh?", he answered opening his eyes slowly.

"I just wanted to ask you if you take the next watch? I even made you some coffee.", Magnus said. Her face showing her distaste when she said the word coffee.

He had to smile at her and took the cup she was holding out to him.

"You really don't like coffee, do you?", he asked her.

"I tried it several times but no … it has this bitter taste and … I don't know.", Magnus explained.  
They smiled at each other. He found it rather funny that she hated coffee that much.

"You should sleep. I'll keep watch.", he said.

She smiled at him and closed her eyes.

He took a sip of the coffee – but somehow it didn't work this time. He still felt tired. He found himself dozing off and straightened up. He was oh so tired.

"Will, stay where you are … just stay put.", he heard a woman say.  
"Mom ...", he asked. He could hear his mother.  
"I'll be right back.", he heard her say.

Ouch!

He had fallen asleep and some of his coffee had landed on his arm and his trouser. At least that woke him up. Everyone was still sleeping.  
Her was a sound – a strange sound. A helicopter – their helicopter.

"They're here... They're here.", he said shacking Magnus, Allison and Tashi so they would wake up.  
"Hey, they're here! They're here!", he said running to the door of the plane.

Ashley opened it looking at him relieved.  
"Heard you guys were looking for a lift?", Ashley said.  
"Ashley!", said Magnus hugging her daughter.  
The Big Guy was there too. He looked rather funny in his snowsuit.

"It's good to see you, Big Guy!", he said and hugged the Big Guy.  
"Okay, we've only got a short break in the storm, so let's get you guys out of here, pronto!", Ashley said.  
"I'll help the others.", the Big Guy said entering the plane.  
He followed Magnus and Ashley. Magnus was already starting to get into her harness from the helicopter.  
"Will, come on!", Ashley said.

"Okay!", he said grabbing his harness.  
"Will, come on, move it!", Ashley yelled.  
Something was wrong.

He stopped getting into his harness and turned back towards the plane. His mother – there she was. Standing in the snow right in front of the plane.  
"This isn't real.", he said.  
"Put on your harness!", Magnus ordered.  
"You're not real!", he said.  
Suddenly everyone was gone. No helicopter, no Ashley or the Big Guy. He stumbled towards the plane to get back inside but tripped over something lying in the snow.

Allison, oh god.  
"Allison! … No!", he screamed.

"Did you ever love me? I mean, truly love me? You know I'm just an element of your subconscious mind, so feel free to be completely frank.", John asked.

He was sitting right beside her – where Will was normally sitting. And she knew that it was a dream. Just a diversion.  
"When I first knew you at Oxford, I loved you with my entire being.", she said.

Why not being honest towards John in a dream state?  
"Those were passionate times, gone too quickly … followed by very dark days.", John said.  
Yes, they were. Like the picnic they had had on a sunny July afternoon. Or the poems he used to write for her. But it was replaced by his rage turned against her. Or destroying her hopes to be together a second time.  
"You destroyed my heart, John. Even though I understood why you had changed, your ailment, the hatred you felt towards me, and then the way you would harm our daughter.", she said.  
"Let me make it up to you. I need you to wake up.", John said.

He was right, she had to wake up.  
John reached out and touched her face.  
"Now!", John yelled at her.

She shrieked awake and looked around disorientated.

Will came walking towards his place beside her sitting down.  
"Hey, you all right? You look like you were having a hell of a dream.", Will said looking worried.  
"I must have dozed off.", she murmured.  
"Is everything ...", she asked looking at Tashis sleeping form.  
"Everything's fine, though you were supposed to be keeping watch. I'll take over if you want.", Will said.

She turned around to him.

What? Hadn't she woken him up? Wasn't he supposed to take watch?

Will walked towards the window. He saw Magnus talking to someone. Him. Oh, god.

He pounded against the window as hard as he could, but she just didn't notice him.

He had to get in there, or Magnus would get killed as well.  
He tried desperately to open the door of the plane. He had to get in there somehow.  
"Magnus!", he screamed still pounding at the door.  
Why didn't that fucking door just open?  
"Will ... Stay where you are.", he heard his mother say.  
"Mom?", he turned around to her.  
There she was – his mother. But she wasn't real.  
"We never got a chance to talk. Talk with me, Will.", she demanded.  
"You're not real.", he said.  
"Does that really matter?", she asked, her hair blowing in the cold wind.  
"You died when I was eight! You don't even know me anymore!", he said.  
"That doesn't mean I don't love you. Stay with me!", his mother said.

No, she wasn't his mother. She was a diversion.  
"I can't.", he yelled pulling at the door again.  
"Will!", she screamed.  
"I can't!", he repeated pounding at the door.

He couldn't.

"Seriously, you should get some sleep. I got your back.", Will told her.  
Why was he trying to get her to sleep?  
"I'm chilled to the bone. Could you make me something hot to drink?", she asked.

She had to be sure.  
"Yeah, sure; I'll make some tea.", Will said standing up.

She just hoped it would work.  
"I'd prefer coffee.", she said.

Will turned back to her and smiled lightly.  
"Of course.", he said.  
Got ya!

She rose her gun, which had rested in her lap and shot at 'Will'. He dropped to the floor. He kept lying there lifeless.

For a second she was afraid she had done a mistake. Until she heard the door of the plane open.

**H**e didn't stop pulling at the door. Suddenly he heard a shot. He just had to open the damn door. The door flew open and he stumbled into the plane.

He saw Magnus standing there with her gun. And a strange, ugly, saurian like thing lying on the floor.  
"You finally got one, the first capture ever.", he said.  
"Hell of a cost.", Magnus said checking Tashi for a puls.

"That's beyond ugly.", he said looking at that thing.

Magnus sat down again, not looking at him. He sat down beside her.

How ...  
"How did you know it wasn't me?", he asked.  
"Like I said, it's the little things.", Magnus answered.  
"The less we use our eyes ...", he started.  
"Welcome to reality.", Magnus said  
"I'm happy to be here.", he told her.

**I**t took 3 more hours before Ashley got there with the helicopter and flew them back to the Sanctuary. Both of them had been quite.

The first thing – after Magnus checked him for any injuries – he did was taking a warm bath. And sleeping – without the fear of being killed while dreaming.

Well, that had been the plan. It didn't work out like that though. So he lay awake – the memory of his mother opening old wounds.

He stared at the ceiling. She had wanted to talk to him. Begged him to stay. But it wasn't real. She was dead, had been for a long time.

He stood up, redressed and walked towards the kitchen, a few levels below.

When he reached the kitchen he saw that the light was on and someone was inside. He slowly peered inside, so he would be able to flee if necessary.

It was the Big Guy. He had put some water into a kettle and was now heating it up.

Will entered the kitchen.

"Hey, up so late as well?", he asked.

The Big Guy turned around ad looked at him.

"Oblivious.", the Big Guy grunted.

Oh, he had forgotten how chatty the big furry guy was. Will sighted.

The Big Guy looked at him questionably.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep so I thought I make me some tea.", he said moving to one of the cupboards to retrieve a cup.

In the meantime the water had boiled and the Big Guy poured water into a cup. Then he placed the kettle onto the counter.

"Do you mind if I take some of your hot water for my tea?", Will asked.

The Big Guy just grunted.

"I mean if you don't need it for anything and ...", Will began.

"Just take it.", the Big Guy said placing his cup onto a tray.

Will observed him while his camomile tea was brewing. The Big Guy placed a plate with strawberries onto his tray. And a small vase with a delicate dark-pink rose. He was beginning to suspect that the tray wasn't for the Big Guy himself.

"So who is the lucky one getting a plate of strawberries that early in the morning?", he asked.

"Magnus does.", the Big Guy groaned.

So she wasn't successful at sleeping either.

"What's with the flower?", he asked.

He wanted to get to know him, and that wasn't that easy because he kept silent with him.

"A rose with the color of a dark pink stands for gratitude. Don't forget your tea.", the Big Guy said and left the room with his tray. Most likely on his way to Magnus office.

The Big Guy was a fan of flowers and their symbolic?

Well, maybe Magnus was right. He had just started to get to know the strange things around here.

"At least I know where I have to go if I have a question about flowers.", he said to himself laughing and left the kitchen.

His tea completely forgotten.

**The End  
**

**Next Episode – Next chapter**


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